LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Senior guard Nate Rakestraw had a season-high 19 points as No. 16 Biola rebounded from its first loss of the season with a 69-49 victory over Vanguard University in a GSAC game on Saturday at Chase Gymnasium.

The Eagles get back to their winning ways and improve to 8-1 on the season and to 3-1 in GSAC play. The Lions drop to 1-7 and to 0-4 in the conference.

Rakestraw had an all-around solid night, hitting 6-of-12 from the field including five from three-point range, adding six rebounds, five assists and four steals. He was one of three Biola players in double-figures with Curtis Eatmon pouring in 16 points and Andrew Schroeder adding 10 points.

The Eagles shot 50 percent in the game while holding Vanguard to just 35.7 percent shooting. Biola, which ranks second in the NAIA in scoring defense, held its fifth opponent under 50 points this year to lower its points against average to 53.7.

Biola led the game from start to finish, though had a tough time pulling away in the first half thanks in large part to 10 turnovers. The Eagles took an early 10-2 lead on a three-pointer by Rakestrakw, but saw the lead whittled quickly down to three over the next two minutes. Leading by just four at 19-15 with seven minutes to play in the first half, Biola finally was able to create some space, closing out the half on a 10-2 run to take a 29-17 lead to the locker room.

Vanguard would score the first two points of the second half only to see the Eagles respond with a long 20-6 run over the next six minutes as the rout was on. Biola would lead by as many as 33 as Clay Martin hit a layup with nine minutes to play. The Lions used a late run as the Eagles emptied the bench to pull the final spread to 20. 

No Vanguard player reached double-figures in the contest as Chris Pynch and Taylor Kelly each scored eight to lead the Lions. 

The victory was Biola's fifth-straight win over the Lions and seventh in the last eight meetings between the two schools.

It was also victory number 796 for Biola Head Coach Dave Holmquist, who is quickly closing in on 800 for his career. He would become just the 16th coach in all divisions to win 800 games and one of the youngest to accomplish the feat.

The game is the first of six-straight home games for the Eagles, who host Bethany University in a non-conference game on Monday beginning at 7:30 p.m.