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AZUSA, Calif. -- Five Sea Lions scored in double figures as Point Loma Nazarene shut down NAIA No. 17-ranked Azusa Pacific University 72-52 Tuesday night on the road.
With the win, the Green and Gold swept the regular season series against the Cougars and improved to 17-7 overall, 10-5 in the Golden State Athletic Conference. Azusa fell to 20-7 overall, 9-6 GSAC.
The Sea Lions held the Cougars to their second-lowest point total of the season while improving to 6-1 against teams ranked in the NAIA top 25.
Sophomore
Hayden Lescault led all scorers with 15 points, and four of his teammates reached double figures in the blowout. Sophomore
Marek Klassen added 14 points, six rebounds and three assists. Senior
Greg Murray and
Rhett Beal each collected eight rebounds to lead the team while scoring 13 and 10 points respectively. Junior
Todd Campbell chipped in with 10 points.
However, it took awhile for either team to get rolling. Neither side scored a single point until Campbell connected inside about four minutes into the game. The game stayed close, and with just over nine minutes left in the first half, APU took an 11-10 lead.
But unfortunately for the hosts, that would be the only lead they held all night. A 3-pointer by senior
Wil Bush sparked a 12-0 Sea Lion run that would put his team ahead for good.
The Sea Lions kept their momentum and entered halftime leading 28-21, despite shooting an abysmal 1-12 from long range in the frame.
After the break, the Cougars quickly cut the gap down to just four points, but the Sea Lions flexed their muscles, stealing the game with an incredible 18-4 run that spanned nearly nine minutes. At the end of the run, the Green and Gold held a 48-30 lead with around 11 minutes remaining.
The Cougars tried to claw back into the game, but they would never get closer than 13 points. The Sea Lions calmly put the Cougars to rest with seven straight free throws down the stretch to finish the game with a 20-point advantage.
PLNU finished the game shooting 52 percent (25-48) from the field compared to 32 percent (20-62) for the Cougars. The Sea Lions also outrebounded APU 40-36.
The Sea Lions will return to action Saturday when they host The Master's College Saturday night in Golden Gym. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30.
