PITTSBURGH, Penn. – The Cougars had a few moments to shine through, but ultimately fell on the road to #7 Duquesne, 258.67-247.39 Wednesday evening at the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse.

The host Dukes (who are full members of the Atlantic 10 Conference for most other sports) set a few program records on the evening, including their highest single score ever recorded with a 9.95 in the compulsory toss.  The Cougars countered with a high of 9.65 in the compulsory pyramid heat, but still trailed by more than a point and a half after the first event, and Duquesne would continue to pull away, winning all six events on the night.

That's not to say that Azusa Pacific was without their own highlights.  The pyramid event was a strong one for the Cougars, with all three heats scoring a 9.50 or higher, including a 9.85 in the open heat.  Azusa Pacific then opened the second half with a narrow win in the 450 salto toss, and also earned the higher score in three of the six tumbling heats (duo, aerial, and 6-element).  But Duquesne was just that little bit sharper on execution throughout most of the night, stretching their lead to about four and a half points heading into the team event, where the Dukes scored a season-high 84.97 to the Cougars' 78.09, stretching the final margin to 11 points.

While the Cougars sit at 1-3 on the season, all three losses have come to teams that were ranked 7th or higher in the preseason poll.  The good news is that the Cougars will not have to travel again for the rest of the season, as they will be at home for their final two regular-season meets, and will host the national championships.  Up next is another first-time matchup against a fledgling Division I program.  The Cougars will host Missouri State in the Felix Event Center on March 19th at 6:00 p.m.