COSTA MESA, Calif. --- Clay Martin came up with a big steal and hit a free throw with 10 seconds left in overtime and Dwight Gordon blocked a last-second shot in addition to his game-high 24 points as Biola escaped with a 75-73 win at Vanguard University in a GSAC game on Saturday night.

The Eagles improve to 20-4 with the heart-stopping victory, moving to 10-4 in GSAC play. The Lions suffer their fourth-straight loss and fall to 5-17, 3-11 in the conference.

The game was eerily reminiscent of the game between the two at Vanguard last season when a pair of late turnovers by the Lions cost them a chance at an upset.

This season, it wasn't as much that Biola won the game as Vanguard missed numerous opportunities to win.

Gordon finished with 24 points, his third-straight game scoring over 20 and fourth in his last five games. He seemed to be everywhere late in the game and in overtime, scoring 17 of those points in the second half and overtime.

The Eagles shot poorly from the free throw line and played suspect defense, but still escaped with the win. Biola erased a 13-point second half deficit and benefited from Vanguard miscues in the final minute of regulation to overcome a late seven-point deficit.

Gordon necessitated overtime by hitting a pair of free throws with 14 seconds left after a Lions' turnover. Vanguard got a big break and had one last chance to win in regulation as William Thompson headed to the free throw line with 0.3 seconds to play. But he missed both shots and the teams headed to OT.

In the extra session, Vanguard held a four-point lead with 1:19 to go only to see Biola come back to tie it with 33 seconds left. But the Lions ended up turning it over without getting a shot off as Martin picked the pocket of Drew Bruns, then hit one of two free throws after being fouled on the break with 10 seconds left.

Then it was Gordon coming through with a block on Taylor Kelly's shot with three seconds to go to secure the victory.

Biola led through much of the first 11 minutes of the first half, leading by six after a pair of free throws by Andrew Schroeder made it 17-11 with minutes to play. However, Vanguard would outscore the Eagles 17-4 over the final nine minutes as Biola went 1-for-6 from the field and turned the ball over six times over that stretch.

In the second half, the Lions kept the momentum going, scoring on their first four possessions and stretching the lead to 13 at 40-27 four minutes into the period.

Biola narrowed the gap a bit and trailed 53-49 after a pair of free throws by Nate Rakestraw with 3:17 to play. However, the Lions came out of a timeout with Drew Bruns draining a three from the corner to make it a seven points lead with under three to go.

Vanguard still led by seven with 1:14 to play and held a four-point lead at 64-60 with 27 seconds to go after Alex Chapman hit one of two free throws. The Eagles quickly cut the lead to one as Shane Mahoney hit a driving layup and was fouled, hitting the free throw to make it a 64-62 game with 19 seconds on the clock.

But things went from bad to worse for the Lions as Christopher Raybon was called for traveling after receving the in-bounds pass under heavy pressure. Ryan Andrews fouled Gordon with 16 seconds left and the senior drained both free throws to tie the game at 64-64.

In the extra session, the teams matched buckets through the first three minutes with the Lions making a pair of free throws to go up 71-69 with 2:14 to go. After a pair of turnovers, Rakestraw missed a straight-away three and fouled the Vanguard rebounder. Alex Chapman hit the two free throws to give the Lions a 73-69 lead with 1:19 to play.

Biola answered back with a quick jumper by Gordon to cut the lead to two, then Rakestaw pulled down a long rebound after a missed three-pointer by Chapman on the other end. Gordon then was fouled going to the hoop with 31 seconds left and hit both to tie the game again at 73-73.

With the shot clock turned off, Vanguard had one more chance to win the game in its final possession. However, the Lions ended up turning the ball over as Bruns fell down and Martin took the ball away. Raybon fouled Martin with 10.2 seconds left to stop the fastbreak and fouled out in the process.

Martin missed the first free throw but made the second to give the Eagles a 74-73 lead. In the waining seconds Taylor Kelly tried a jumper in the lane, but Gordon came through in the clutch, blocking the shot with 1.5 seconds left. Martin pulled down the rebound and was fouled. He hit one of two free throws, intentionally missing the second, to seal the deal.

Biola nearly shot better from the field then it did from the free throw line. The Eagles were just 25-of-50 from the charity stripe but finished 24-of-49 from the field.

Curtis Eatmon scored 14 points with Rakestraw adding 11 points. Andrew Schroeder scored 10 points and added eight rebounds while Josh Miller pulled down 14 boards and scored eight points before fouling out in overtime.

Chapman had a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Lions.

Last season's meeting in Costa Mesa ended in dramatic fashion as Rocky Hampton stole the in-bounds pass with five seconds to play, dribbled left-handed and laid it in as the buzzer sounded for the victory. Hampton's steal occurred in nearly the exact same spot at Bruns fell down in overtime of this year's contest.

The Eagles return home on Tuesday (Feb. 8) to host The Master's College in a GSAC tilt at Chase Gymnasium. Tip off is at 7:30 p.m.