ALYSA PERRERAS | staff writer

With a 3-3 record in the GSAC, the Cougars needed a win on Saturday, Jan. 19 against the Vanguard Lions. Yet, the Cougars could not pull it off for their home crowd, losing 73-68 at Felix Event Center.

The Lions gained momentum early in the first half and at one point led by 16. Vanguard sophomore guard Greg Scott played a pivotal role in APU’s defeat, scoring 17 points.

The Cougars came out of the locker room and entered the second half down by nine, with the score board reading 40-31. Senior forward Todd Martin led a Cougar comeback scoring 6 points in three straight possessions. With only 11 minutes left in the game, the Cougars came within two points after an impressive reverse lay-up by junior shooting guard Mike Danielian.

Led by Scott, Vanguard was able to hold on to their lead with a 15-5 run. Never giving up, the Cougars fought back till the final whistle coming within three points in the final two minutes of the game.

The loss brought to light the places in which the team has room for improvement. The Cougars struggled from the floor missing 17-of-21 at the arc and missing 9 of 16 first half free throws.

“We just needed to start playing better. We need to execute our plays and be ready to step up,” junior guard Mike Danielian said.

The team stepped up their play on Tuesday, Jan. 23 against The Master’s College. Even though the Mustangs made the Cougars work for the victory, APU was able walk away with a 68-64 victory.

The Cougars showed they were ready to play as they kept the Mustangs scoreless for the first ten minutes of the competition with an opening 17-0 run. With only 3 minutes left in the first half, the Cougars had doubled the Mustangs’ points with the scoreboard reading 32-16.

“We had intensity and energy. We came out with a commitment to details. We did a good job of reading what they were doing and then making good decisions,” head coach Justin Leslie said.

Much like Cougars did against Vanguard, the Mustangs rallied back in the second half, proving that no lead is untouchable.

“We had some serious mental breakdowns in the second half in both offense and defense,” Leslie said. “We missed rotations on defense, shot the ball too early on offense, and got out-rebounded on the offensive end. With the height advantage we had, that should have never happened against a team like the Master’s.”

Their 19-point lead slowly disappeared in the final minutes of the game and when Mustang guard Ryan Zamroz converted a 4-point play with 2:20 left in the game, The Master’s was within 2 at 62-60.

In the final minutes of the game, with the score at 66-64, the Mustangs had one last chance to take the lead or tie the game. Exceptional Cougar defense forced The Master’s Jeremy Haggerty to fumble the ball and lose possession.

Two free throws from junior shooting guard Mike Danielian gave the Cougars a four point lead at 68-64, which ended up being the final score.

“[Since the game against Vanguard] we have focused on making the players realize everything we did in practice is important. It was about getting across the message about how hard this conference is and how hard we have to work to win,” Leslie said.