by SEATTLE, Wash. – The Azusa Pacific Cougars had a dominant second-half performance to secure a 90-70 victory over the Seattle Pacific Falcons on Saturday evening. Amayah Kirkman led the Cougars with 23 points, while Sydney Hani was electric off the bench, grabbing 16 points.
How It Happened: Kirkman opened the scoring with a three-pointer, and Audrey Sayoc quickly followed with one of her own. Despite the strong start, Seattle Pacific matched the Cougars’ energy, managing to stay within two points at the end of the quarter, 26-24.
Seattle Pacific surged ahead in the second quarter, outscoring Azusa Pacific 21-14. The Falcons’ defense held the Cougars to just 33% shooting, and they capitalized on turnovers to take a 45-40 lead into halftime.
The second half, however, belonged entirely to the Cougars. They opened the third quarter with a 15-5 run, banking on Kirkman’s accuracy from beyond the arc and Kelly Heimburger’s strong play inside the paint. Lauren Jones had a three-pointer to cut the deficit, and Azusa Pacific regained the lead midway through the third quarter. The Cougars outscored the Falcons 25-12 in the quarter to enter the final period up 65-57.
In the fourth, Azusa Pacific’s defense overwhelmed Seattle Pacific, holding the Falcons to 25% shooting. Meanwhile, the offense thrived, with Hani taking over in the paint and Kirkman handling business from long range. The bench contributed significantly, with Sabrina Belquist and Elyse Mitchell combining for 16 points, to ensure the commanding 20-point win.
