AZUSA – In a close battle, the Cal Poly Pomona women's basketball team opened the 2017-18 season with a loss, falling to Azusa Pacific 75-72 on the road in the CCAA/PacWest Challenge.

The Cougars opened the first quarter strong, jumping out to a 17-7 lead, their largest lead of the contest, before ending the first quarter with a 21-13 advantage.

Three Broncos finished in double-digit figures with Priscilla Brooks leading with 14 points followed by Chelsea Waddy-Blow with 12 and Jackie Ricketson with 10 points.

CPP battled back to close the gap, eventually taking their first lead since the opening basket to start the third quarter of play. Both teams continued to battle back and forth before the Broncos concluded the third quarter with a 55-53 lead.

As a team, the Broncos shot 41 percent from the field, while going 17-of-20 from the free throw line. Waddy-Blow added a team-high seven rebounds as Alyssa Benton and Casey McWilliam finished with eight and seven points respectively.

In the fourth, the Broncos took their largest lead of the night after a jumper by Waddy-Blow made it 65-59.

Azusa bounced back, scoring six straight points to tie the game before. Down 73-69. Benton kept CPP in the fight, hitting a three with 14 seconds left before two free throws by the Cougars sealed the victory.

APU led in rebounds 43-36 and finished with 20 second-chance points compared to nine from the Broncos.

CPP will continue the CCAA/PacWest Challenge tomorrow afternoon as they play Point Loma Nazarene University at 1 p.m. on the campus of Azusa Pacific.