SANTA BARBARA, Calif. --- For the second time in as many weeks, a pair of free throws in the closing seconds sunk Biola in a big GSAC battle. This time Westmont was the beneficiary as Jessica Case drained two free throws with under two seconds to play to give the Warriors a 67-66 win in a GSAC game Tuesday night.
 
The loss was yet another frustrating, close defeat for the Eagles, who entered the game ranked No. 20 in the latest NAIA National Rankings. Biola drops to 16-9 on the season and to 8-8 in conference play. Westmont, ranked No. 13, improves to 21-3 on the season and to 13-3 in the GSAC.

Tuesday's game was eerily reminiscent of last Tuesday's two-point loss at Azusa Pacific where a late, questionable foul call awarded the Cougars a pair of free throws with 1.3 seconds left. However, this time around there was nothing questionable about the foul, it was just a frustrating finish for the Eagles who have now lost five of their last eight GSAC contests.

Biola was led for senior Megann Alberts who scored a game-high 21 points. Sophomore forward Jessilyn Conicelli added 14 points and 12 rebounds while sophomore guard Jennifer French scored 12 points and had four assists.

Westmont drained seven three-pointers in the first half to help build a 32-23 lead at intermission. The two teams stayed close through the first 15 minutes of the game before the three-pointers helped the Warriors pull away.

In the closing minutes of the period, the Eagles cut the lead to five on a lay-up by Alberts with just under 2:00 to play. But Westmont quickly took control with back-to-back three-pointers by Annie Johnson and Katie Kittle to make it an 11-point game. Free throws by Alberts closed the gap back to nine and a clutch block at the buzzer on the other end by Alberts kept it under double-digits.

Westmont opened the second half with a Blanco jumper to put the Warriors back up by 11, but the Eagles responded immediately with a 15-3 run to close within one. Conicelli opened the run with back-to-back jumpers in the lane, and wrapped up it up with another. With 12:37 remaining, Biola took its first lead since early in the game thanks to a pair of free throws by Jennifer French to go up 43-42.

The Warriors momentarily took back a one-point lead on a pair of free throws by Kittle, but French took things into her own hands, hitting back-to-back three-pointers to give the Eagles a five-point edge.

Westmont closed the gap, though Biola continued to lead down the stretch. The Eagles would rebuild the lead to as many as six at 65-59 on a jumper by Alberts with 3:15 to play. But the Warriors turned up the pressure on defense and forced a pair of turnovers and eventually tied the game at 65-65 with 1:57 to go.

After missing a long three-point attempt on the next possession, Alberts was whistled for her fifth foul of the game on the ensuing scramble. The foul also put Ali Mooty at the free throw line on the other end, but she missed both. Christina Barclay came through with a big rebound on the second miss and was fouled with 1:11 remaining. However, she was only able to convert one of two free throws, making the first to make it 66-65.

On the next possession, Westmont went down low to Jessica Case, but she missed the shot and Stevens was fouled going after the rebound, giving her a chance to give the Warriors back the lead from the charity stripe. But Stevens missed both free throws and--after Blanco secured the offensive rebound--Barclay blocked the put-back attempt and the Eagles got the ball back.

The Warriors fouled Conicelli on the inbounds play and it paid off as she missed the front end of a one-and-one with 19 seconds to go. Once again Westmont had a look at the basket with time winding down, but once again they would miss a shot and Biola had the ball back with four seconds to play and a one-point lead.

But then disaster struck for the Eagles as French lost control of the ball on the inbounds play and it went out of bounds giving the ball back to Westmont with 2.6 seconds left.

On the inbounds play, Case got behind the defense and was fouled going up for the easy lay-up with under two seconds to go. She would convert both free throws to give the Warriors the late lead and the long, half-court shot by Charrise Reece fell short.

Case led the Warriors with 16 points, but hit just 4-of-15 shots from the field, benefiting from seven free throws on the night. Johnson scored 11 points and Blanco had five points but 10 rebounds.

Rebounding was even at 42-42, but the Warriors had 21 offensive rebounds on the night. Westmont also took care of the ball well, only turning the ball over nine times compared to the Eagles' 17. Those 17 miscues led to 13 points by the Warriors.

Biola closes out the regular season with three of its final four games at home. First up on the list is on Saturday (Feb. 21), when the Eagles host Concordia University in the annual Homecoming Game. Tickets are required for the game and can be purchased over the phone by contacting Biola University Sports Information Director Jeff Hoffman at 562-903-4889 or by email at jeff.hoffman@biola.edu.