Azusa Pacific a No. 2 Seed in the NAIA Tournament

By virtue of its glossy 33-2 record, Azusa Pacific earned the No. 2 seed in the 32-team National Assn. of Intercollegiate Athletic men’s basketball tournament and will begin first-round play today against Edward Waters College at Tulsa, Okla.

The Cougars have won a school-record 19 consecutive games. Led by sophomore guard Caleb Gervin and junior forward John Bourne, balance is the key to the Golden State Athletic Conference as seven players average between 8.9 and 14.5 points.

Edward Waters (21-8), based in Jacksonville, Fla., is led by 6-foot-7 junior Lamaas Barefield, who averages 18.4 points and 11.8 rebounds.

Biola (25-6) plays Westminster College of Salt Lake City. The Eagles are led by junior forward Nate Strong, who averages 17.9 points and 6.8 rebounds.

GSAC player of the year Jacqueline Godoy leads Azusa Pacific into a first-round women’s NAIA tournament game today against Central State of Ohio at Jackson, Tenn. Godoy, a junior guard, leads the Cougars (24-6) in scoring, assists and steals.