Sophomore forward Jared Zoller contributed with 13 points in the playoff loss against Point Loma that brought the Cougars’ season to a close. Photo: Blake Standal
The Azusa Pacific men’s basketball dropped the NCCAA West Region Championship game to Point Loma in a 70-86 loss on Tuesday, March 4.
The Sea Lions took an early double-digit lead when sophomore forward Sam Okhotin hit two of his four three-point shots back-to-back mid-way through the opening half. Point Loma maintained the lead through halftime.
The Cougars made quick movements to open the second half, improving their 31.8 first half shooting percentage to 53.3 percent, eventually making it a five-point game with 13:35 to play. However, their efforts were answered with a three-point shot from junior guard Hayden Lescault and a jumper from junior forward Junior Morgan which regained the Sea Lions’ double-digit lead.
“At this time of the year it’s competing, it’s having that will to win,” said Cougar head coach Justin Leslie. “They competed at a much higher level than we did and they got us in catch up mode.”
The Cougars won both conference games earlier this season against the Sea Lions, including their final regular season home game that went into double overtime on Feb. 22.
“We earned an opportunity on our home floor. That’s what we wanted, to go out and to defend and to do those details; how well we execute defensively on and off the ball and offensively how we share it,” Leslie said. “Those are the things that we really tried to emphasize and it just didn’t happen like we would have liked it.”
Junior guards Robert Sandoval and Troy Leaf led the Azusa Pacific offense, combining for 32 points and six assists. Sophomore forwards Jared Zoller and Sharif Watson wrapped up the Cougars’ double-digit scoring with 13 and 10 points, respectively. Watson also led the team’s rebounding efforts with nine.
“When you get to the end of the year there’s not a lot of new bells and whistles that I at least like to put in. You want to see those fundamentals, the things you worked hard on in September and October, start paying off down the stretch – and they did,” Leslie said. “I’m proud of this season. There were certainly things we could have done better and games we wish we could have won, but at the end of the day, we took a step forward as a program this year.”
The loss broke Azusa Pacific’s six-game winning streak leading into post-season play, bringing its overall season record to 17-10. Point Loma will advance to the NCCAA tournament in Indiana, set to begin Wednesday, March 19.