SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Azusa Pacific pulled off one of its most dramatic wins of the season Thursday evening at Golden Gymnasium, as Rachel Roderick scored the game-winning layup with two seconds left to lift the Cougars to a 59-58 victory over Concordia in quarterfinals of the PacWest Championships. After surrendering the lead with three seconds to play, APU answered immediately, going the length of the floor and finishing at the rim to punch its ticket to the semifinal game.
The Cougars had to battle through plenty of adversity from the opening tip, falling behind 8-2 in the early going before settling in. APU responded behind its bench spark, getting a three-pointer from Elyse Mitchell and another from Calista Arzaga before closing the first quarter on a 7-0 burst. Lauren Jones capped that run with a three-pointer in the final seconds of the period, giving the Cougars a 19-16 lead after one.
The second quarter was a grind offensively, with both teams struggling to find rhythm for long stretches. Rome Falcocchia kept Azusa Pacific in front early with back-to-back baskets in the paint, but Concordia used a late push to take control before halftime. The Cougars managed just five points in the frame and went into the locker room trailing 30-24.
Concordia stretched the lead to as many as eight in the third, but APU refused to let the game slip away. Jones ignited the response with a three-pointer and a steal-and-score sequence in transition, while Nivia Glorioso, Arzaga, and Keisharna Lucas all added key buckets to keep the Cougars within striking distance. By the end of the quarter, Azusa Pacific had trimmed the deficit to 45-42 and had all the momentum heading into the final 10 minutes.
That set the stage for a frantic fourth quarter filled with swings on both ends. Audrey Sayoc opened the comeback with a steal and fastbreak jumper, and shortly after, APU turned a technical foul into four straight points to jump back in front. Falcocchia added another inside finish to push the lead to 49-45, but Concordia answered, and the rest of the quarter became a possession-by-possession fight.
With just over four minutes left, the Cougars trailed 54-49, but once again they delivered under pressure. Arzaga attacked the rim for a layup, Falcocchia knocked down two free throws, and Mitchell calmly hit a pair from the line to give APU a 55-54 edge. After another tie, Falcocchia came up with one of the biggest sequences of the night, forcing a turnover and then sinking two free throws with 1:37 left to put Azusa Pacific back on top, 57-56.
Concordia briefly reclaimed the lead on a basket with three seconds remaining, but the Cougars still had one final answer. Out of a timeout, Lucas delivered the assist and Roderick finished the play at the rim with two seconds on the clock, sending the APU bench into celebration. The Cougars then forced one last turnover on the ensuing possession to seal the dramatic one-point win.
Inside the Box Score
- Falcocchia led Azusa Pacific with 12 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 blocks
- Jones also scored 12 points to go along with 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals
- Mitchell added 11 points and 3 steals off the bench
- Arzaga chipped in 8 points
- Lucas had 10 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 assists, and the assist on the game-winning basket
- Roderick finished with 6 points, none bigger than the final two
- Sayoc added 5 assists and helped spark the fourth-quarter rally with a key steal and basket.
As a team, the Cougars forced 23 turnovers and turned those mistakes into 18 points. Azusa Pacific also got 23 bench points and came up with 14 steals in the win.
Up Next: Azusa Pacific advances after the thriller and will face No. 2 seed Point Loma in the semifinals tomorrow (Friday), March 6. Tip off is set for 5:00 p.m.
