Box Score LA MIRADA, Calif. --- In a game which featured a combined 20 three-pointers, the three biggest came in succession over the course of the final four minutes for Biola, which used the late barrage to pull away from a surprisingly tough Pomona-Pitzer team and win 69-65 in a non-conference game on Thursday night.
The Eagles, ranked No. 15 in the latest NAIA National Poll, snap back from a tough loss at The Master's on Tuesday to improve to 7-2 on the season. The Sagehens suffer their second-straight loss and fall to 4-3.
Both teams seemed to have little trouble finding the bottom of the net from long range, each connecting on 10 three-pointers in the contest. The first half saw the most action from beyond the arc with Pomona-Pitzer connecting on 7-of-9 from three-point range while Biola hit 6-of-10.
The long-range attack went the way of the Sagehens through much of the first half as they built up an early 9-5 lead and extended it to 15-11 with 11:46 to go in the half. But the Eagles used a 10-0 run over the next three minutes to jump back up by six at 21-15.
It didn't take long before Pomona-Pitzer answered back as Jack Klukas hit three's on back-to-back possessions to tie up the game just over one minute later, then connected on a third to give the Sagehens a 24-23 lead with 4:38 to go before the break.
Biola then came alive again with a 12-0 run capped by three-straight three-pointers, the last two by Chase Adams, who finished with a team-high 17 points. The run gave Biola a 35-24 lead with 1:53 to go before the break. But Pomona-Pitzer capped the half with a pair of three-pointers including one in the final seconds of the period to make it a five-point game at the break.
In the second half, Pomona-Pitzer hung around and eventually closed the gap to one at 48-47 with 8:07 left as the game went inside the arc. The Sagehens kept the game within a few points over the next four minutes, trailing by just two at 56-54 on a outback by Greg Wright with 3:45 to go. But Lamar Lee came back down and hit a big three-pointer--the first of the half for Biola--and put the Eagles back on top by five at 59-54.
After a turnover on the next Pomona-Pitzer possession, Zack Zaragoza drained a three-pointer, then hit another after a three-point play by the Sagehens to give Biola a commanding 65-57 lead with 1:39 to go. v Pomona-Pitzer used solid defense to cut the lead to four and had a chance after a missed Biola free throw to make it a one-possession game. However, Andre Murrillo drew a charge on a Sagehen breakaway to give the ball back to the Eagles. From there, Biola connected on all four free throws, only allowing a three-pointer at the buzzer to account for the four-point final spread.
For the second-straight game, Biola was without a key member of the squad, missing guard Given Kalipinde due to sickness. The Eagles have been short a regular in all but two games this year and will add another key member to the team in late December.
Adams led the Eagles with 17 points thanks in large part to five three-pointers. He added two assists and a pair of steals, also drawing three charges. Zaragoza connected on four three-pointers and contributed 14 points and six boards while Murillo added 14 points as well.
Kyle McAndrews led the Sagehens with 18 points while Jack Lukas scored 12 points on four three-pointers--all in the first half.
Biola's three-point barrage was impressive but not the most the team had collected in a game this season. The Eagles hit 13 three-pointers in a blowout victory at Menlo College to open the year.
Biola hits the road for a final pair of games before Christmas break, traveling to Salt Lake City, Utah for the Westminster College Holiday Classic. The tournament features a pair of tough games for the Eagles, who take on 2009 NAIA Division I Champion Rocky Mountain College (6-5) on Friday at 4:00 p.m. PT. Biola closes out the tournament against host and No. 11-ranked Westminster College (10-2) on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. PT.
