GSAC Champions do it again!

GSAC Champions do it again!
The Cougars crush the Hawks with 3-point precision.

The most successful hunting technique for the hawk is to fly long, low the ground to quickly strike its unsuspecting prey. That was exactly what the Hawks of Christian Heritage College (CHC) did as they attempted to defeat the #3 ranked Azusa Pacific Cougars Saturday night in men's basketball earning a 41-29 lead with 2:42 left in the first half.

But cougars are cunning night hunters, with keen eyesight and excellent hearing. Instead of chasing their food they prefer using the element of surprise. Stalking their prey at close range, they wait for the right moment to strike. That moment came in the second half when freshman forward Brett Michel made a lay-up and a trey to tie the game at 45-45. Then with 15:17 left to play, junior forward John Bourne shot two free throws to give the Cougars a permanent lead. With two mighty blows the hunt was over. The feeding had begun.

Azusa Pacific came from behind in the second half to win a decisive 100-74 victory over CHC in their final GSAC regular-season game.

"In the first half [I was thinking] we need to step up," sophomore Caleb Gervin said. "In the second half it made me feel good to be part of such a great team."

The Cougar victory was clearly a team effort. Junior guard Steve Mcllwain led the team with 20 points and 4 treys along with Michel (19) with 5 treys, Bourne (13) and Gervin, both with 2 treys, Gary Dredge (11) with 2 treys, and Anthony Haggins (10) with 1 trey.

Clearly, the most notable factor of the game was the amount of three-pointers Azusa sank. Eight Cougars made 18 of 34 treys for 54 points, 12 of 19 of them in the second half. That is more than half their points scored from the 3-point line.

Michel led the team in 3-point shots with 5 of 7. He finished the season shooting 45 percent from the 3-point line, making him #1 in conference.

Dredge was the biggest surprise of the night. With a 93-74 lead in the final minute of the game, he made his first 3-pointer of the season. Then he made a second. He was fouled while attempting three in a row. He missed his first two free throws. Then, as the crowed cheered, he sank the third bringing the score up to 100.

Saturday's game chalked up some impressive statistics for the Cougars. It was their 16th straight win, the second-longest winning streak in school history, and their 30th regular-season victory, another APU record.

"It was nice to win league and keep the streak going," Michel said. "We also have the most total wins of any team in the nation at any level."

Cougars are also known as mountain lions. And just as lions rule their domain these APU cats control the court. Maybe next time the Hawks will know better than to fly so low.

for Introduction to Journalism at APU circa Spring 2001