RIVERSIDE, Calif. --- Marlon King's running lay-up with six seconds left lifted Biola to a 45-41 win over California Baptist in a GSAC must-win game for both teams on Saturday night at Van Dyne Gymnasium in Riverside.

The Eagles improve to 21-8 on the season and secure fourth place and a first-round home game in the GSAC playoffs with a 12-7 conference record. The Lancers drop to 20-8 overall and to 11-8 in GSAC play. Provided the Lancers win their final game against Vanguard, the two teams would meet again in the first round of the GSAC playoffs on Thursday at Chase Gymnasium.

The victory also keeps Biola's hope of an NAIA at-large berth alive. The Eagles were receiving votes in the latest national poll and could likely move into the top 25 with its pair of wins this week.

The game was not a pretty one from the average fans' standpoint with the teams combining for 86 points and neither shot very well. Biola hit 38 percent from the field--one of its worst shooting nights in a win this season. However, the Eagles' defense picked up the slack and held Cal Baptist to just 29 percent shooting on the night. It was the lowest shooting percentage by a Biola opponent this year and the lowest since holding the Lancers to 26.4 percent in a win at Biola last season.

King led Biola with 11 points thanks to the last-second shot, adding five assists and seven rebounds. Despite a tough shooting night, Rocky Hampton posted a double-double, scoring 10 points and 10 rebounds. He also had three blocks to up his GSAC-leading total to 67 on the season.

The game was tough to watch as both teams struggled throughout the first half. Cal Baptist jumped out to a 7-2 lead, though it over five minutes to get tot hat point. Biola had just three field goals through the first nine minutes of the game, yet trailed by just three at 9-6. Cal Baptist took its biggest lead of the half on a layup by Michael Brewer 4:33 before the half to go up 20-13. But Biola answered with six-straight points to pull within one. The Eagles had a chance to take a lead before the half, but a pair of point-blank shots rattled out and they headed to the half down 21-20.

In the second half, the two teams battled back and forth with Biola taking its biggest lead of the game at 34-28 with 9:59 to play on a steal and fastbreak layup by Nate Rakestraw. The Lancers slowly worked their way back in, whittling the lead down to one on a three-pointer by Dave Cernin with 4:20 to go and taking a one-point lead at 39-38 on a pair of free throws by Omar Krayem.

However, the Eagles responded on the next trip down the court with a three-pointer from right in front of the Biola bench by Danny Campbell to take a 41-39 lead. A few possessions later, Davey Hopkins hit a fastbreak layup of a steak by Krayem to tie the game at 41-41 with just over two minutes to go. The two teams used all of their time on the shot clock only to miss point-blank shots as time wound down. Cal Baptist looked like it would lock up the game as Krayem was fouled with 22 seconds to play. But the normally reliable free throw shooter missed both freebies giving the Eagles one final shot.

After a timeout, King dribbled beyond the arc before driving into the lane and shooting over the outstretched arms of a CBU defender, hitting the jumper with six seconds left to give the Eagles a 43-41 lead.

Cal Baptist's last chance was thwarted by a bad inbound pass which sailed out of bounds and Campbell hit a pair of free throws to ice the game.

Biola not only out-shot the Lancers, but held a 42-30 rebounding edge as well. However, the Eagles turned the ball over 17 times to CBU's 12. 

The 41 points scored by the Lancers were the fewest by a Biola opponent this year, matching the 41 points put up by Hope International when the Eagles played in Fullerton in early February. Biola, which is allowing an NAIA-low 56.5 points against, is 18-2 on the season when holding the opposition to 60 points or fewer.

Biola closes out the regular season with a GSAC game against Hope International University on Monday (Mar. 2) beginning at 7:30 p.m. Prior to the start of the game, the Eagles will honor their lone senior Josh Salo in a pregame ceremony.