LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Sophomore Josh Miller scored 14 points and added 12 rebounds to pace Biola to a 51-39 win over Hope International in its final regular season game on Monday night at Chase Gymnasium.

The Eagles close out the regular season with a 22-8 record--their best mark in four seasons--and finish fourth in the GSAC with a 13-7 record. The Royals wrap up the 2008-09 campaign at 4-24 and 1-19 in GSAC play.

Miller, who was coming off a disappointing game at Cal Baptist on Saturday, was 6-of-13 on the night for 14 points, adding 12 rebounds and an assist. Sophomore guard Nate Rakestraw added 11 points, nine rebounds, two blocks and a pair of steals while junior Marlon King added 10 points, six rebounds and four assists.

Hope International put up a tough fight, especially Tom Granado, who posted game-highs of 16 points and 17 rebounds on 8-of-14 shooting in the game.

The Royals gave the Eagles all they could handle in the first half as the game went back and forth early. Hope held a pair of five-point advantages in the first seven minutes of the game and led 15-11 at the 8:39 mark. Biola managed to close the gap and tie the game at 15 a few minutes later. The teams matched each other the rest of the way, trading baskets until a Miller putback at the buzzer gave the Eagles a 24-22 lead at the half.

In the second, neither team scored for the first three minutes until Doug Gomez hit a jumper with 16:57 left in the half to tie the game at 24-24. But Biola responded with a gradual 8-0 run over the next four minutes to go up 32-24 and would take a double-digit lead on a Danny Campbell jumper at the 8:20 mark which made it 40-30 Biola. The Eagles would lead by as many as 14 in the half before settling for a 12-point win.

Biola held the Royals to just 25 percent shooting and allowed a season-low 39 points. The Eagles surrendered 41 points to Hope the last time the two teams met earlier this season. The Royals have scored more than 50 points against Biola in just two of the last eight meetings between the two and tallied just 29 points when the teams met at Chase Gymnasium last season.

The Eagles wrap up the regular season as the best team in the NAIA in scoring defense, allowing just 55.93 points per game this season. Biola has held six of its last seven opponents below 56 points per game and is 17-2 on the season when holding teams to 56 or fewer points.

Biola now returns to the GSAC tournament, making it 35th-consecutive postseason appearance. The Eagles open the tournament at home, hosting No. 5 seed California Baptist University in a first-round game on Thursday, March 5. Tip off is slated for 7:30 p.m.

Biola swept the season series from the Lancers, winning 67-64 in La Mirada earlier this year and edging out a 45-41 victory when the teams met in Riverside on Saturday. The Eagles have won five of the last six games between the two in La Mirada and seven of the last 10 overall.

Tickets for the game cost $8 for adults and $5 for students and will be available on the night of the game. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.