Men’s basketball dominated against Hawai’i Hilo on Thursday night with a 78-59 win

On Thursday night, Azusa Pacific’s men’s basketball team extended their win streak to eight games, after taking down the Hawai’i Hilo Vulcans. The Cougars were led to a 78-59 victory by some key performers and solid defensive play. 

The Cougars came into this contest riding a seven-game win streak, which included three 90 point performances. Their offense has been playing at an incredibly high level as of late and Thursday night’s match against Hawai’i Hilo was no different.

Getting off to a quick start, APU jumped ahead to a 14-2 lead just five minutes in. The Cougars shot 50 percent from the field in the first half and 37 percent from the three-point line (6-16). Although the Vulcans shot the ball well enough to stay in the game, the Cougars’ solid defensive play kept Hawai’i Hilo from getting many shots off. After one half of play, the Cougars led 39-32.

The second half was more of the same from the Cougars, as they were able to stay ahead and build upon their lead throughout the half. Improving upon their first-half field goal percentage, APU shot a superb 54 percent from the field. However, the team’s three-point shooting was not quite as on target compared to the first half, only making four from beyond the arc on 11 attempts.

With over 1,000 in attendance, the Cougars dominated during the entirety of the game, defeating the Vulcans by 19 points and outscoring them by 12 in the second half. 

Senior Selom Mawugbe, one of the most talented players in the PacWest, had a big night with 18 points (shooting 9-11) while adding nine rebounds and five blocks. Junior Brennan Rymer was another standout player for the Cougars as he was just one assist away from a double-double, scoring 13 points and tallying nine assists. Rymer made sure that everyone on the offense got opportunities with the ball. 

The Cougars improved to 13-3 on the season and 8-2 in PacWest play, increasing their win streak to eight games. Looking ahead on their schedule, a contest with rival Biola is certainly what the Cougars have their sights set on next. Boasting a record of 10-6, the Biola Eagles have had some trouble on the road going 1-4 in their last five games away from home. With only one night off before that big challenge, the Cougars will have to rest up quickly and be prepared for a hard-fought battle between rivals.

This will be a Cornerstone Cup matchup, as points are on the line for the coveted trophy that is awarded annually at the end of the athletic year. The game will be played in the Felix Event Center at 7:30 p.m on Saturday.