George Rodriguez

Box Score

Biola BIO 18-10,13-6 PacWest

Azusa Pacific APU 23-3,17-2 PacWest

Biola BIO

18-10,13-6 PacWest

Final

Mar. 04, 2022

Azusa Pacific APU

23-3,17-2 PacWest

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	3	4	F
Biola BIO	25	20	5	21	71
Azusa Pacific APU	20	22	25	18	85

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | March 04, 2022 | Ethan McGarvey, Sports Information Director

Cougars Advance

A hot shooting first half did not last for BU, as the Cougars surged back to advance in the PacWest Tournament.

FRESNO, Calif. --- The dream was cut short on Friday night, as the Eagles could not get past Azusa Pacific in the PacWest Tournament Semifinals. No. 5 Biola came out of the gates on fire from the field but a game-changing rally from the Cougars propelled the top seed to an 85-71 triumph over BU.

"I'm really proud of our team. They competed to the end and they worked well together," said head coach Alan Nakamura about his team after the game. "This group is very resilient and positive."

Friday saw Biola's second appearance in the PacWest Tournament Semifinals after a round one win over fourth-seeded Concordia. The Eagles went 1-1 against the Cougars during the regular season with the home team taking each decision.

The neutral court in Fresno played into Biola's hand to start the contest. The Eagles looked to be playing on their home floor, shooting with confidence and rhythm. BU posted 25 points in the first quarter, while going 10-14 from the field for a 71.4 field goal percentage.

A switch in quarters from the first to second did not change the mindset and success of the Eagles. BU opened up the second with a 15-5 run, thanks to three treys on three attempts. Through the team's first 12 three-point attempts, BU sank eight of them to convert at a 75.0 percent clip.

The offensive onslaught built a 40-25 advantage for Biola. Amiah Simmons was at the head of the charge, netting 15 points in the strong start. Aysia Johnson kept up the defensive pressure for BU, helping slow the APU attack. The graduate went on to collect four steals on the night and was efficient on the offensive end with 11 points on a 80.0 field goal percentage.

"We came out ready to go, hitting everything and moving the ball great," said Aysia Johnson.

After pouring in 40 points through the opening 14 minutes, the Eagles only added 10 points through the next 20 minutes as the Cougars turned the tide. In the stretch, Biola's fortune from beyond the arc disappeared as they went 2-17 for an 11.8 percentage from long range.

On the flip side, Azusa Pacific continued to fire on offense. Within the same span, APU added 45 points of their own to create a 35-point swing in their favor. The best run for the Cougars involved a 23-0 run that spanned for nine minutes of game action. The third quarter heavily tilted towards APU, 25-5, as the top-seeded Cougars entered the fourth with a 17-point advantage.

Sydney Moran contributed solid minutes in the final stretch, sinking three field goals from beyond the arc in the fourth. The guard helped cut the deficit to 15 multiple times but the most the Eagles could recover was to 14 points in the waning seconds.

Stephanie Lee tacked on 15 points on Friday. Lee netted five shots with all of them coming from downtown. The double-digit scoring performance gave the senior 841 for her career at Biola.

PacWest Freshman of the Year, Simmons notched her 11th performance with at least 20 points this season. The lefty guard totaled 22 points on the night, while shooting over 50.0 percent from the field and from the three-point line. The rebounding effort was also led by Simmons, who nabbed seven boards on Friday.

Biola turns its attention now to 2022-23, as the team returns four of its five starters from this season. "We will be back next year," - Aysia Johnson.

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