LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Biola's five seniors combined to score 57 of the team's 63 points in a 63-40 GSAC victory over Point Loma Nazarene University in the Eagles' regular-season final on Thursday night at Chase Gymnasium.
The Eagles wrap up the regular season with a record of 25-5 which matches the program record for wins in the regular season. Biola also moves temporarily into second place with a 16-4 GSAC record, the best mark since the Eagles joined the GSAC in 1994-95.
Jennifer French led the senior barrage with 25 points while
Jessilyn Conicelli added 17 points and 11 rebounds for her 14th-straight double-double and NAIA-best 24th of the year. The duo outscored Point Loma 42-40.
Senior
Christina Barclay had a tough night shooting, but finished with six points while fellow seniors
Deshaye Sells and
Megan Jackson added six and five points, respectively.
Neither team shot well in the first half, leading to a close, low-scoring affair. Biola could not get a lead of more than two and trailed through much of the opening period. French gave the Eagles their first lead in a while, making it a 24-22 game with 15 seconds to go. But Point Loma's Crissa Jackson hit a jumper just before the buzzer and sent the game to halftime tied at 24-24.
Biola had a poor shooting half, hitting just 29.4 percent (10-of-34) from the field, but managed to stay close while holding the Sea Lions to 32 percent (8-of-25) shooting.
But the second half belong completely to the Eagles. Biola outscored Point Loma 18-5 over the first 8:30 of the period. French and Conicelli scored seven points each over that stretch with Barclay adding four. The Eagles would keep the lead and cruise to the win.
Biola hit an impressive 59.3 percent (16-of-27) from the field in the second half while holding Point Loma to just six made field goals in 28 attempts (21.4 percent) with four coming from three-point range.
Brianna Colon scored 10 points to lead Point Loma and was the only player in double-figures for the Sea Lions.
Biola now heads to the postseason for the fourth-consecutive year and likely will make its third-straight trip to the NAIA Tournament, the longest stretch in program history. The Eagles also have a chance to break the school record for wins in a season. The existing record is 26 done three times, the last in 1980-81.
The GSAC tournament opens on Wednesday, Mar. 2, with Biola hosting an opening-round game beginning at 7:30 p.m.