By Tim Peterson
(Azusa) – Azusa Pacific trailed for nearly 37 of the 40 minutes and ultimately fell to Menlo 71-63 Tuesday night at Felix Event Center.
The Cougars had the lead for only 1:21 in the first half and then were down the entire second half and could never catch the Huskies.
After trailing by three early Menlo rallied to take a 35-23 lead at the half. Nick High led Menlo with 10 points and Jamall Unuakhalu had seven. For Azusa Pacific Tobias Aisien scored six points and Kaleb Taylor had five. The Cougars shot just 26 percent from the field in the first half while Menlo shot 50 percent.
In the second half the Menlo maintained the lead early but Azusa Pacific finally began to cut into the lead in the last ten minutes. Late in the contest the Cougars, led by Shad Thomas, sliced the lead to two points at 63-61 with under two minutes remaining.
But High, who led Menlo with 18 points on the night, hit a turnaround jumper to increase the lead to 67-61 with 38 seconds remaining.
Taylor was fouled with 22 seconds left off of an offensive rebound and a put back but was missed both free throws. Unaukhalu grabbed the rebound off the second miss for Menlo and was immediately fouled. He knocked down both free throws to make it and eight-point lead at 69-61.
Marvin Brumfield hit two more seven seconds later to salt it away for Menlo.
The Cougars had just two players in double figures as Thomas scored 20 points which included a couple of high-flying jams. He was 7 of 11 from the field and pulled down seven rebounds. Taylor, doing some good work inside finished with 17 points and was 8 of 12 from the floor. Tobias Aisien had nine and DJ Sanders added eight. APU shot 36 percent from the field overall and just 20 percent from three-point land. The Cougars struggled at the free throw line as they hit just 45 percent making 10 of 22.
For Menlo Unuakhalu scored 17 as he and High combined for 35 points. The Huskies shot 47 percent from the floor and 75 percent from the line.
Azusa Pacific fell to 1-4 on the season with the defeat while Menlo picked up its first victory and is 1-6.
Menlo 35 36 71
APU 23 40 63
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