COUGARS CLAW LANCERS
AZUSA, Calif. --- The NAIA's No. 4-ranked Azusa Pacific used a remarkable second half turning a 17-point deficit into an eight-point, 87-79, win over California Baptist University Saturday night in the Felix Event Center.
The loss drops the Lancers to 4-3 overall, 1-1 GSAC. The Cougars improve to 7-1, 1-0.
Nicole Davis led all players with 26 points, but 22 of them came in the first half when the Lancers built up a 45-30 halftime lead. They shot just .421 from the floor, but half of their 16 field goals came from beyond the arc to key their first half spurt.
Four Cougars scored in double figures. The inside tandem of Alex Moore-Porter and Kristie Hala'ufia combined for 38 points and 32 rebounds. They had just 12 points in the first half.
Davis made a pair of free throws to open the second half and give the Lancers a 47-30 advantage, but the Cougars responded with a 21-2 run as a Moore-Porter jumper with 13:24 left gave the Cougars their first lead since six minutes into the game.
“Their intensity picked up and we just went flat right from the start of the second half,” said CBU Head Coach Danelle Bishop. “They got all the loose balls and we got really timid, and we got out of our offensive flow and never got back into it. Hopefully when you lose a 15-point lead you can learn something from it.”
The Cougars led 56-54 with 11:47 to play when Brianna Estell scored five straight to make it 59-56 with 9:59 remaining. Briana Hall started a 9-0 flurry with a trey and the Cougars never trailed again.
Azusa Pacific shot 19-for-34 (.559) from the floor in the second half and made 17-of-20 (.850) from the charity stripe as they scored 57 points in the second half. They out-rebounded the Lancers 53-39 and scored 46 points in the paint compared to just 22 for the Lancers.
Kendra Morris finished with 21 points. Morris and Davis were the only Lancers in double figures.
