AZUSA, Calif. --- A pair of free throws awarded on a questionable foul call with 1.3 seconds left in the game completed a big comeback by Azusa Pacific, which overcame a 20-point second-half deficit to defeat Biola 68-66 in a GSAC game on Tuesday night.

The Eagles, ranked No. 20 in the latest NAIA national poll, fall to 14-8 on the season and to 7-7 in GSAC play on the heels of their third loss in their last four games. The Cougars improve to 18-6 and move up to 9-5 in conference action.

The final foul not only appeared questionable as to when it occurred, but also if it actually occurred. After Michelle Byrd's missed layup with two seconds to play in the tie game, Azusa Pacific's C.J. Hill and Biola's Megann Alberts battled for the rebound as the clock expired. It appeared as though the game would head to overtime, but after a late whistle, the referees determined Alberts had committed a foul, putting Hill at the line and added 1.3 seconds to the clock. Hill went on to hit both free throws to seal a big GSAC win for the Cougars.

The late lead by Azusa Pacific capped a monster comeback as the Cougars trailed by as many as 20 points in the second half. APU rallied back but was still down by six with just over two minutes to go before putting together a final run to earn the victory.

The Eagles played well and got a strong performance from sophomore forwards Jennifer French and Jessilyn Conicelli. French hit four three-pointers in the game to finish with a team-high 17 points while Conicelli had 14 points and added 13 rebounds. Senior post Megann Alberts also played well, scoring 13 points on 6-of-13 shooting.

The two teams battled back and forth with Azusa Pacific getting off to a quick start. The Cougars hit seven of their first nine shots and took an early 20-15 lead midway through the half. But the Eagles stepped up the defense and held APU to just 6-of-23 (26 percent) through the final 10 minutes of the half.

Biola broke the game over late in the half with a long 25-5 run which stretch over the final three minutes of the half and into the second half. The Eagles opened up a 52-32 lead--its biggest of the game--with 14:22 to play in the contest. But the Cougars would not go quietly in the night, slowly pulling it within 13 points before using a 12-0 run to pull within one at 59-58 with 4:05 to go.

After exchanging baskets, the Eagles went back up by three with a layin by Alberts. After a missed shot on the other end, Biola went up by six as French hit a long three-pointer to put the Eagles up 66-60 with 2:16 left.

The Cougars closed the gap to two with a pair of free throws by Briana Hall followed by a putback by Alex Moore-Porter. After a block on the other end by Michelle Byrd, the Cougars came down and went to the free throw line after Conicelli picked up her fifth foul of the game. Moore-Porter hit a pair of free throws with 32 seconds which tied the game at 66-66.

The Eagles got a chance to take the lead with 18 seconds left as Bryd fouled Charrise Reece, but Reece missed the free throw and the Cougars had the last look at the basket in regulation. After a timeout, Azusa Pacific ran a nicely designed play to give Bryd an open layin underneath, but she would miss the open shot which was followed by the highly-suspect call after the horn sounded.

Moore-Porter led the Cougars with an impressive 21 point, 14 rebound performance. She was one of four Azusa players to reach double-figures with Hall scoring 15, Byrd adding 12 points and 10 rebounds and Kristie Hala'ufia scoring 11 points.

The game was eerily similar to the one played earlier in the season between the two rivals, except it was Azusa Pacific which held the late lead. In the contest down in La Mirada, Biola trailed by 13 points with 7:55 to play before mounting a 14-0 to take the lead and eventually hold on for the 61-56 victory.

Biola's next game is a non-conference game against Chapman University at Chase Gymnasium on Thursday (Feb. 12). The game will be part of the nationwide Pink Zone campaign which raises money to help support breast cancer research. The game, which begins at 7:00 p.m., is free to everyone, though donations are accepted.