BOX SCORE

LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Sophomore Josh Miller scored 23 points and junior Rocky Hampton had 15 points and added 11 rebounds as Biola scored a 59-52 win over GSAC foe Vanguard University in its home opener on Saturday night at Chase Gymnasium.

The Eagles improve to 4-1 on the season with the victory and move to 1-1 in conference action while the Lions fall to 2-4 and 1-1 in GSAC play.

Biola shot well from the field, especially in the second half, hitting 64 percent from the field in the final 20 minutes to finish at 44 percent for the game. The Eagles struggled from outside, though, hitting just 2-of-16 from three-point range, though the Lions didn't fare too much better from long-distance, connecting on just 3-of-15.

The two teams battled each other back and forth for the first 20 minutes with neither able to gain a lead of more than four in the first half. A Miller jumper gave the Eagles a slight one-point edge with 1:29 to play in the half and a Marlon King free throw made it two as BIola took a 25-23 lead to the locker room.

Things remained the same in the second half with the teams exchanging leads through the first 10 minutes. But Biola slowly began to pull away after that, breaking a 35-35 tie with a nine-point run as Hampton hit a pair of jumpers followed by Miller and capped by a three-pointer by Josh Salo with 7:39 to go. From that point on, the Lions would get no closer than five points as the Eagles closed out the game by hitting their final four shots and draining free throws down the stretch.

Gregory Scott was the lone Vanguard player to score in double-figures, though nine of the 11 Lion players to enter the game scored. But overall, the Lions shot just 33 percent in the game. 

Biola has a short layoff, returning to action on Monday (Dec. 8) to face NCAA Division III Pomona-Pitzer in a non-conference game in Pomona at 7:00 p.m.