Given the plethora of colleges and universities in the Boston area, Odell figured landing a couple of games wouldn’t be difficult. But it was. Finding a willing opponent to take on the nationally-regarded Cougars proved to be next to impossible. As the Cougars came to Bean Town, everyone left, including Boston University, Boston College, Harvard University, MIT and the likes, all of whom scattered from the city this week to play in mostly warm-weather tournaments (i.e. BU is in San Francisco at the Cable Car Classic and Harvard is in Dallas taking on SMU).
Eventually, Cougar assistant coach Jeff Rutter stumbled across Fisher College, a small NAIA Division II college located in the downtown high-rises of Beacon Street in Boston. The Falcons were in need of a fourth team to round out their Fisher Winter Classic, and Azusa Pacific fit the bill.
The Cougars open the 4-game classic today (there are also 2 women’s games being played to round out the tournament) against University of Maine-Machias at 1 p.m. (EST). Pending today’s results, the Cougars will then take on tournament host Fisher or Houghton College at 1 or 5 p.m. (EST) Friday.
Much like to the trip to Montgomery in 2002 when the Cougars got a first-hand look at the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s by visiting such places as Martin Luther King’s church and home along with the 16th Street Baptist Church and the state capitol where the 25,000 member Selma-to-Montgomery March of 1965 concluded, Wednesday members of Azusa Pacific’s basketball team took in the long and rich history of Boston during a 2-hour hike along what is known as the Freedom Trail. About 20 members of the Azusa Pacific traveling party visited such sights at the Granary Burying Ground, the final resting place for luminary American Revolution figures such as John Hancock, Paul Revere, Sam Adams, victims of the Boston Massacre as well as many of the early settlers. The Cougars also visited the State House, King’s Chapel, the marker for the first public school, the Benjamin Franklin Statue, Faneuil Hall and Paul Revere’s House.
“This has already been a great trip,” said Odell, “and we have yet to play a single minute of basketball.”
Azusa Pacific, which is 9-1 on the season and ranked No. 3 in the latest NAIA Division I Coaches Top 25 Poll, adjusts its focus this afternoon when it takes on Maine-Machias, an NAIA Division II member of the Sunrise Conference. The Clippers, who are 1-6 on the season, return to the hardwood for the first time in 19 days after suffering a 105-60 loss at NCAA Division I Texas Southern in Houston back on Dec. 10. The Clippers lone victory to date is a 113-61 verdict over Maine-Augusta on Dec. 7.
The other Fisher Winter Classic first-round men’s game matches Houghton (3-5) against Fisher (3-8) at 5 p.m. Today’s 2 winners will meet in the tournament championship at 5 p.m. Friday, while the losers square off at 1 p.m. None of the Azusa Pacific games will be live on the Internet through datacasts or radio broadcasts.
The New England temperatures have been cooperative for the most part during the Cougars’ stay in Boston (in the mid 40s), but Azusa Pacific looks forward to its return warm Southern California Saturday evening to begin preparation for its 3-time title defense of the Golden State Athletic Conference, which begins in earnest Tuesday (Jan. 3) at The Master’s College.
