IRVINE, Calif. -- The battle for the PacWest title comes to a head this week with the top three contenders for the title facing each other in the penultimate week of the regular season before the conference’s top-8 teams go to Fresno for the PacWest Championships.
Azusa Pacific owns first place in the standings after earning wins last week against Chaminade and Dominican. The Cougars went undefeated during their trip to Hawai`i and returned home for a decisive win against the Penguins.
Nate Kleppe had five steals and two blocks as the Cougars held the Penguins to just 51 points.
The Cougars have now won eight games in a row, a streak that is matched by Biola, which is in second place in the conference standings. The Eagles defeated Holy Names and Concordia on the road last week to keep its momentum going into a pair of crucial games to start this week.
Point Loma has a seven-game winning streak of its own after earning victories on the road against Dominican and then Fresno Pacific. The Sea Lions were voted the preseason favorite in October and they have looked the part recently, and now have a 16-8 overall record.
This week’s action opens with Azusa Pacific at home against Point Loma. A win for the Cougars would strengthen their grip on the top spot in the standings, while Point Loma would be within a half-game of first place with a win. Point Loma will then travel to Biola on Wednesday in another crucial battle for the top spot in the PacWest. Meanwhile the Cougars will be at home against Concordia before going to Biola on Saturday.
Weekly awards for the week of Feb. 7-13
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Chris Rossow, Biola
G, Sr., 5-9 -- Freeport, Texas
Rossow earned his second Player of the Week award this season by averaging 27.0 points per game last week in wins at Holy Names and Concordia to help Biola extend its winning streak to eight. He opened the week with a 23-point performance at Holy Names to finish the team’s trip to the Bay Area. He went 10 for 17 from the field with wo assists and two steals. Then on Saturday, he played every minute in the win at Concordia, going 11 for 17 from the field for 31 points. It was his third 30-point game this season and he added six assists and four steals. He remains the PacWest leader in assists this season with 105 and he has 33 steals, which is just one shy of the conference leader. Rossow also recorded 13 rebounds in the two wins. The 5-foot-9 guard has at least four rebounds in each of the last 14 games.
DEFENDER OF THE WEEK
Kaden Anderson, Point Loma
F, Jr., 6-8 -- Enumclaw, Wash.
The Sea Lions missed the Preseason PacWest Player of the Year during the first half of the season, but Point Loma has found its groove with Anderson back in the lineup and are now on a seven-game winning streak to remain right in the middle of the PacWest title race with just two weeks left in the regular season. Anderson recorded three blocks, two steals and 13 defensive rebounds this week as the Sea Lions defeated Dominican and Fresno Pacific at home to improve to 12-4 in the PacWest. Anderson had a 17-point, 10-rebound double-double against Dominican with a block and a steal. Against Fresno Pacific, he finished with 19 points, eight rebounds, two blocks and a steal. As a team, Point Loma held its opponents to an average of 65 points per game. The Sea Lions perimeter defense held Dominican to a 15.0 3-point percentage, and Anderson was there to clean up the rebounds with seven defensive boards during his sixth double-double this year.