Reserve post Kristie Hala’ufia scored a career-high 24 points to help the Azusa Pacific women’s basketball team defeat Lewis-Clark State College for the second time this season with an 81-73 victory in the opening round of the Wells Fargo Invitation on Friday at the LCSC Activity Center. 

Azusa Pacific, ranked No. 10 in the NAIA at 6-1, defeated LCSC 64-57 earlier this season in Azusa, Calif. The Warriors, 9-3 overall, are ranked No. 14 in the NAIA. 

Hala’ufia, a 6-foot-2 sophomore, had scored only 34 points this season before her big night. She hit 12-of-19 shots from the field and also had a game-high 12 rebounds to record her first double-double at the collegiate level. She did this in just 25 minutes of play.  

Hala’ufia was joined by Kate Shipp, who added 16 points off the bench on 6-of-7 shooting, including 4-of-4 at the 3-point line. The two helped APU’s bench outscore the Warrior bench 46-11 in the contest.

The contest was close throughout as neither team led by more than four points in the first half. APU led 40-39 at intermission, but LCSC scored the first five points of the second half. After Sadie Short scored to make it 55-55 with less than 11 minutes remaining, APU was able to go on a 10-0 run and take control of the game at 65-55. 

LCSC managed to cut the lead to six at 70-64, but couldn’t stop the Cougars down the stretch. 

APU hit on 32-of-59 shots from the field for 54.2 percent and forced LCSC into 23 turnovers. The Warriors were just 22-of-58 from the field, 37.9 percent, but managed to go 26-of-36 at the foul line to keep it close. 

Short had a double-double for LCSC with 19 points and 109 rebounds, while Mandy Troutt led the team with 22 points. Vanessa West added 14. LCSC’s guards, however, were a combined 4-of-22 in the game. 

Both teams resume tournament play on Saturday in the pre-determined format. Azusa Pacific will play seventh-ranked Carroll College at 2 p.m., followed by LCSC and College of Idaho at 4 p.m. Carroll defeated College of Idaho 70-66 in Friday’s other game.