By Tim Peterson
(Azusa) – Cal State LA went on a 15-0 run in the second half to break open a tight game and went on to beat Azusa Pacific 70-49 Thursday night at Felix Event Center.
Azusa Pacific was down 35-23 at the half as Cal State LA, led by Corey Cofield’s 17 points, forged a 12-point lead. But the Cougars slowly began to climb back into it early in the second half. First they cut it to six points and when Ethan Speaker knocked down a three with 11:49 left in the second half they were suddenly down by just three, 49-46.
The game was at a turning point and the Golden Eagles turned it up. Kyjaun Cannady hit a bucket inside, Cofield scored, and Shane Bell hit a deuce as well. Connor Scales then nailed a corner three and suddenly a three-point lead was 12 at the eight-minute mark.
Scales hit another one from the floor and by the time the dust had settled the Golden Eagles had gone on a 15-0 run and that was all she wrote. It was too big of a hole for APU to dig out of. Cal State LA’s biggest lead of the game was 21 which was the final score of 70-49.
The Cougars got off to a slow start thanks in large part to turnovers. Azusa Pacific turned the ball over 16 times in the first half compared to just six for the Golden Eagles. Jordan Hansen led APU in the first half with seven points and Maui Tze had five but the Cougars couldn’t generate any momentum due to the miscues.
Cofield’s 17 in the first half carried the Golden Eagles. Next in the scoring column was Chasen Stewart with six. Cal State LA shot 52 percent from the field for the game and finished with three players in double figures. Cofield led the way with 21, Bell had 15 and Cannady 12.
The Cougars shot just 36 percent from the floor. Hansen scored 14 to lead the team, and Sze added 11 and also pulled down 10 rebounds but no other player scored in double figures. Michael Saba had seven points and five rebounds. But the stat that jumped off the page was the turnovers. APU committed 25 while Cal State LA had just 12.
Cal State LA improved to 2-2 with the victory while Azusa Pacific fell to 2-3 early in the season.
Cal State LA never should have changed to the Golden Eagles from the Diablos, which was unique to a State commuter college.
Thanks James Rosser.