Saturday’s 90-79 victory leads the Cougars to a 16-3 overall record
Azusa Pacific’s rivalry with Biola is a well-established tradition. The battle of the Cornerstone Cup earns the victor serious bragging rights. However, when looking at this rivalry from men’s basketball, it heavily favors APU.
Since 2010, the Cougars have been winners of eight of their last 11 matchups against Biola. APU entered their game on Saturday hoping to continue their success despite being away from home.
During the first half, both teams had strong offensive play. Although the Cougars started the half with a 7-0 run, the Eagles quickly fought their way back into the game and they eventually tied the contest at 27 with eight minutes remaining in the first, before seizing the lead.
Undaunted, the Cougars struck back, going on a 23-14 run to end the half. APU went into halftime leading the Eagles 50-42. It was the fourth time this season that the Cougars scored 50 or more points in a single half.
With only 20 minutes left to be played, it was essential for the Cougars to return from their locker room and continue to score the basketball efficiently. They did just that, extending their lead to 15 points.
At one point, APU’s lead was brought back down to only a four-point difference, but yet again the Cougars answered the call and stayed composed. They continued to increase their lead until the final whistle blew, escaping with a 90-79 victory, and five more points in the Cornerstone Cup standings.
With the women’s team securing a victory just a few hours before the men’s game, the Cougars now hold a commanding 50-20 lead over Biola in the Cornerstone Cup race.
In front of a sold-out crowd of 2,400, it was the Cougars who came out on top, and it was the impressive performance of Selom Mawugbe that stood out the most. Mawugbe, who has been named the PacWest Player of the Week three times so far this season, collected a double-double for the tenth time this season. He also added five blocks to his stat sheet.
Senior guard Ben Taufahema was also a major key to the victory, going four for eight behind the arc and scoring 19 points. Brennan Rymer also added 15 points of his own and notched five assists.
APU looks to continue their impressive streak of wins and make it 12 straight against Point Loma in San Diego on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.