Top Performers
APU: Troy Leaf 32 pts, 9 reb, 2 ast
CBU: Gelaun Wheelwright 25 pts, 2 ast, 1 stl
Azusa Pacific men’s basketball fell 87-80 to California Baptist on the road Saturday. The loss tightened the PacWest standings, keeping the Lancers in the hunt for the conference title.
The teams competed within single-digits throughout the first half, entering halftime tied at 37. The Lancers, however, jumped out to the lead in the second half, shooting 66.7 percent from behind the arc and the field overall.
The Cougars didn’t find the same success, attempting just five 3-pointers and missing each one until Troy Leaf’s with just four minutes to play. The senior guard then hit two more, making 3-for-13 for the Cougars from 3-point range in the second half.
APU worked most of the half inside the paint, coming away with 16 points, but the Cougars’ 36.6 second-half shooting percentage wasn’t good enough to compete with CBU.
The Cougars sent the Lancers to the charity stripe nine times in the final 2 1/2 minutes, boosting the team’s second-half points from the line to 18.
Leaf led the game with 32 points, while Christian Katuala added 13 for the Cougars.
Gelaun Wheelwright led the Lancers with 25 points, hitting 5-of-9 3-point shots.
APU drops to 19-4 overall (12-3 PacWest), now sharing second place with Dixie State. BYU-Hawaii sits atop the conference (12-2 PacWest), while CBU is in third (11-3 PacWest).
Azusa Pacific will return home Feb. 12 to take on BYU-Hawaii before hosting the rematch with California Baptist Feb. 21.