The APU men’s basketball team couldn’t end their season with a win, but they still have a shot at redemption this coming week

 

After a loss to Biola at the beginning of the month, the Cougars needed to win out the remainder of the regular to be in a good spot in the PacWest Tournament on March 1. The Cougars came close to doing so, winning their next four games after that, including a 74-70 overtime thriller against Hawaii Pacific on Thursday, but ultimately fell short in their final game of the season to Chaminade, losing 72-80.

“Chaminade brought it. They played with a ton of energy tonight, and it manifested itself on the boards,” head coach Justin Leslie said. “We couldn’t get defensive rebounds consistently enough to get ourselves back where we needed to be, and it was such a huge disadvantage to give up those second chance points.”

Chaminade needed the win in order to claim the sixth and final spot in the PacWest tournament, while the Cougars had the No. 3 spot locked down, regardless of the outcome.

It was a constant back-and-forth battle in the first half, with both teams swapping momentum at different points in the game. The Silverswords went on a 9-2 run before halftime to lead by a score of 35-27. After the half, they didn’t look back, gaining a lead as high as 18 points early in the second period. The Cougars would fight their way back however, hitting three consecutive three-point shots to cut the lead in half. Yet the Silverswords refused to let APU comeback, and were able to win the game by eight points over the Cougars.

Even with the loss, the Cougars had a few phenomenal performances. Four players on the team scored at least 10 points or more, and most notably, sophomore forward Selom Mawugbe broke Azusa Pacific’s single-game record for most blocked shots with 11. Mawugbe also had 10 points on the night and collected 13 rebounds, becoming the first Cougars player to record a triple-double since All-American T.J. Walker did it for APU on Jan. 12, 1999.

“I’m honored to have a spot in the history of Azusa Pacific basketball, because it’s very special,” Mawugbe said. “It shows not only the hard work that I’ve put in, but I think a game like this shows the hard work of the team. I couldn’t do what I did tonight it without the hard work my teammates put in, so I’m thankful to be a part of such a great team.”

Mawugbe entered the game ranked 11th in Division II basketball with 69 total blocks. His 11-block performance against Chaminade puts him in the national top-five with 80. The APU single-season blocks record is 88, which is currently held by the team’s head coach, Justin Leslie.

“Selom’s performance tonight was special. Not only was it one of the best defensive performances I’ve seen in my career, but he also brought it on the offensive end, getting some second chance looks for us,” Leslie said. “He clearly played with a different level of energy tonight, and I think he’s capable of playing big games like this moving forward. He’s grown a ton over the course of the season, and to see him grow and make an impact in more than one area for our team is exciting. It’s too bad we couldn’t have a performance like this to highlight a win, but had he not performed the way he did, we’d have lost by 20.”

Even with the loss, the Cougars are not discouraged by it. They will have a rematch against Chaminade in the first-round of the PacWest Tournament on Friday, March 1 in Riverside, Calif.

“I just dug in and tried to do everything I could to help my team win. I feel like I fell short, but this isn’t the end of our season. We’re going to see this team again, and when we do, we’re going to be ready,” Mawugbe said.

Leslie also looks forward to the rematch in that his team will be able to prove themselves when it comes to the playoffs. He admits that these unique challenges of facing off against a team they just played against makes this situation a bit more exciting.

“We’ve done this a few times over the years in my career as a player and coach. It’s going to come down to players making plays, and teams coming together and buying in. I don’t think either of these teams are going to reinvent themselves over three days of practice. We know what we’re going to get, and we’ll see which team decides to show up with the greatest competitive spirit next Thursday,” Leslie said. “It’s a unique challenge, but it’s one of those things that only happens in the postseason, so it makes it exciting.”