GLENDORA >> Azusa Pacific University has fielded one of the top defenses in the NCAA Division II this season and the Cougars put their prowess on display Saturday.

APU, which ranks No. 4 nationally in scoring defense, held Western Oregon to zero passing yards in the first half and 235 total en route to a 33-8 victory over the Wolves in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference game at Citrus College.

Quarterbacks Andrew Elffers (Maranatha High School) and Chad Jeffries (Glendora) combined to throw for 305 yards and three touchdowns for the Cougars (9-1, 8-0), who are ranked No. 13 in NCAA Division II and No. 6 in Super Region Three.

Nick Duckworth threw for 146 yards and a touchdown and Torreahno Sweet (Bishop Amat) rushed for 67 yards for Western Oregon (3-6, 2-5).

APU, which had it’s first shutout since 2014 two weeks ago at Simon Fraser (57-0), yielded its only points on a 71-yard pass from Duckworth to Paul Revis (6 for 130 yards) in garbage time. The Cougars have given up a mere 28 point in its past four games.

“We just wanted to give our all,” said defensive back Aaron Berry, who led APU with nine tackles. “This could be our last home game, so it’s just a blessing to go out there.

“Our thing is every game’s a playoff game to us. We lose one, we’re done. Our effort was to not let them get anything. We practice that way all the time.”

APU put it away after the first two quarters, scoring on three of its first four possessions to lead, 20-0, at halftime.

The Cougars held the Wolves to zero passing yards in the half, outgaining them, 274-29.

Elffers, who was 16 of 21 for 155 yards during the first two quarters, gave the Cougars an early 7-0 lead with a 2-yard pass to Josiah Thropay (Charter Oak) in the first quarter.

APU, after giving up the ball on downs at the Western Oregon’ 36 on its next series, then put together drives of 75 and 60 yards for a 20-0 lead during the middle of the second quarter.

Aaron Baltazar capped the first march with a 1-yard run for a 13-0 lead at 10:53 before Jeffries tossed 41 yards to Ethan Zeidler to make it 20-0 at 7:07.

“We played well,” Elffers said. “But our potential is higher. We have to keep working towards that. I think the offensive line, the receivers … we all grew up tonight. We’re going to keep maturing as a team, and I’m excited to see what happens.”

The Wolves, meanwhile, were throttled during the first two quarters. Phillip Fenumiai was 1 of 9 for 0 yards.

Elffers clinched it with a 5-yard run for a 27-0 lead in the third quarter before Jeffries tossed 9 yards to Tanner Henry to make it 33-0 in the fourth quarter.

With the win, the Cougars finished undefeated against GNAC teams for the first time, an accomplishment that didn’t go unnoticed by APU coach Victor Santa Cruz.

“It’s a great achievement,” Santa Cruz said. “Being undefeated means you’re going to take every single moment and every opportunity to grow serious. This goes back to January and what (the players) did on their own. It takes an attitude to do that and it shows up now by going undefeated.”