SANTA CLARITA, Calif. --- Despite a school-record 39 free throw attempts, poor shooting from both the stripe and the field doomed the Eagles in a 65-63 overtime loss to Missouri Valley College in the final game of the GSAC Challenge Classic on Saturday afternoon at Bross Gymnasium in Santa Clarita.
The loss was the third-straight defeat for Biola which falls to 4-8 on the season. The Vikings improve to 6-4 overall with the win.
The Eagles struggled mightily from the free throw stripe, hitting just 20 of their 39 free throw attempts after Missouri Valley committed 28 fouls in the game. After hitting 47 percent from the field in the first half, Biola made just six of 33 field goal attempts in the second half and overtime combined.
Megann Alberts led the Eagles with 18 points and added three steals and four rebounds before fouling out with four minutes left in regulation. Chelsea De Luca added 12 points for Biola.
Biola fell behind early in the game, trailing 15-8 six minutes in, but a quick 7-0 run tied the score at 15-15. The teams stayed close throughout the remainder of the first half with the Eagles taking a 38-37 lead to the locker room.
In the second half, Biola held a 58-54 lead with 4:47 remaining before the Vikings' Jordanne Walker hit a three pointer with 2:51 left to pull the team to within one. A free throw with 2:17 remaining gave tied the score at 58-58.
Summer Matthews then hit a running lay-up in the lane with 1:09 to put Biola back up two at 60-58. Missouri Valley missed a shot on the next possession, but Biola turned the ball over on the ensuing possession to give the Vikings a final chance. Walker than converted an open layup with 10 seconds to go to tie the game. Biola final chance to win the game in regulation failed as a jumper by Christina Barclay fell short as time expired.
In the extra period, Walker drained a long three-pointer 35 seconds in to give Missouri Valley its first lead since the 10 minute mark of the second half. The Eagles were just unable to convert on anything offensively, missing their first five shots of overtime and turning the ball over five times.
Biola would close within one at 63-61 with 1:16 to go after a free throw by Jessilyn Conicelli only to see the Vikings go back up by four after a pair of free throws by Sarah Rogers with 50 seconds to go. The Eagles finally were able to make a field goal with three-tenths of a second to go on a lay-up by Matthews.
Overall, there were 53 total fouls called in the game leading to 68 combined free throws and making the game last well over two hours. Five players fouled out of the game including three for Missouri Valley and two for the Eagles.
Biola will be off until returning to GSAC play on Tuesday, Jan. 8, when they host The Master's College at 5:30 p.m. in Chase Gymnasium.
