FRESNO, Calif. – Biola’s offense looked unstoppable at the start with 45 points in the first 16 minutes, but Azusa Pacific’s zone defense suddenly held the Eagles to only five over the next 16 minutes en route to a 85-71 win in the semifinals of the PacWest Championships on Friday at the Special Events Center.
 
After Biola took a 45-32 lead, the Cougars suddenly went on a 23-0 run, which was part of a larger 38-5 run. That one run, which spanned almost 17 minutes was the difference in the game as the Cougars earned their fourth trip to the PacWest Championships final and third in a row. Azusa Pacific will face No. 3 Academy of Art on Saturday at 4:30 p.m.
 
Kayla Shaw, who scored 29 points last night, was the one to start the 23-0 run, making a 3-pointer for her first points of the game. Kelly Heimburger made the next six points for the Cougars with a pair of jumpers and then two free throws to help cut Biola’s lead to 45-42 at halftime.
 
Laura Pranger, Alex Lowden and Shaw each hit 3-pointers on three-consecutive possessions near the start of the second half. Molly Whitmore then made a lay-up to make the run 23-0 over a span of less than eight minutes. Stephanie Lee snapped the streak when she made a 3-pointer for Biola.
 
The momentum of the game was completely changed at that point, and Azusa Pacific ended up outscoring the Eagles 25-5 in the decisive third quarter. The Cougars finished the game with six players in double figures led by Paige Uyehara’s 17 points and five assists. Pranger added 16 points with five rebounds and two blocks.
 
Biola’s hot start to the game was the best start any team has had during the tournament, and it was led by PacWest Freshman of the Year Amiah Simmons. She finished the game with 22 points on 8 of 15 shooting. Lee made five 3-pointers in the game, and Aysia Johnson added 11 points. Biola made 17 of 30 shots in the first half.