BETHANY PILLOW | staff writer
Despite a loss to Vanguard in the semi-finals round, the season is not yet over for the Cougars.
Final ratings are released today, Wednesday, March 11, to determine which teams will fill the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) championship 32-team field.
Cougars are looking confident for one of the national tournament’s at-large bids after weeks of strong play.
Last Wednesday, March 4, Azusa played rival Biola in the first round of the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) tournament.
The Cougars secured an early lead and held it through to the end for a 61-56 victory.
Thirteen proved to be a lucky number for the Cougars during their victory over Biola.
Player number 13, sophomore forward Alex Moore-Porter scored as many post half-time points in an attempt to keep the lead over Biola, which also peaked at 13 points.
Despite a hearty lead, in the second half the Cougars battled as the Eagles fought hard to close the gap.
With just five minutes on the clock Azusa had a lead of just 50-48 after a massive offensive effort by Biola landed them two 7-0 scoring runs.
What followed was a fast paced dance that kept both teams on their toes to the final seconds of the game.
The Eagles came within two points of the lead at four occasions, but one by one Cougar players matched their opponent’s sweep with a swipe of their own, each time by a different player.
At two minutes, freshman point-guard Briana Hall met the next Biola offensive with a steal and quick play for her only basket of the game.
With less than a minute to go, sophomore team members pulled out the stops as guard C.J. Hill made the third critical basket, bringing the score to 58-54 at 46 seconds.
During the GSAC semifinals game on Friday, March 6, against the Vanguard Lions, Azusa suffered a 71-73 loss.
The Friday night game was not all bad luck however, as Moore-Porter had her 13th double-double this year, scoring 21 points and 10 rebounds.
Junior center Kristie Hala’ufia followed up with eight rebounds of her own and her 10th 20-point game of the season.
Both Hala’ufia and Moore-Porter were named to the 2009 Women’s Basketball All-GSAC Team last Tuesday, March 3.
Today’s release should confirm Azusa’s position for an at-large bid for the 2009 NAIA tournament, beginning Wednesday, March 18.
This gives the team a week before leaving for Jackson, Tennessee and their sixth consecutive year at nationals.
The release of the full tournament bracket is scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday, March 12.
