Box Score AZUSA, Calif. --- Despite holding a 12-point, second-half lead, Biola suffered a 66-60 loss to arch-rival and No. 9 Azusa Pacific in a GSAC game between two NAIA Top 15 teams on Tuesday night at the Felix Event Center.
The Eagles, ranked No. 15 in the latest NAIA National Poll, suffer their second loss in the three games and fall to 11-4 on the season and to 1-2 in conference play. The Cougars improve to 12-2 and to 2-1 in GSAC competition.
Kaimarr Price had his best game as an Eagle, scoring a game-high 23 points on 11-of-20 shooting while Chase Adams tallied 16 points and had three steals.
Things looked to be going great for Biola after a slow start in the first half. Azusa Pacific jumped out to a 12-8 lead in the early going and still lead by three at 17-14 with 11:08 to go in the half after a three-point play by Brandon Dunson. But the Eagles used a 9-0 run over the next six minutes to go up 23-17 and headed to the locker room with a 29-26 halftime lead.
Biola came on red-hot in the second half, opening on a 12-4 run to take a 41-30 lead four minutes in. The Eagles would expand that lead to 12 at 45-33 on a layup by Price with 13:03 to go. But a quick seven-point run by APU over the next two minutes made it a 45-40 game. The teams exchanged buckets over the next few minutes until a steal and fastbreak layup by Given Kalipinde gave Biola what looked to be a commanding 56-47 lead with 6:51 to go.
But the Eagles went cold from the field the rest of the way and Azusa Pacific took full advantage, using a 12-0 run over the next five minutes to take a three-point lead, capped by a thunderous dunk by Tyler Monroe which made it 59-56 with 2:00 to play. Davey Hopkins closed the gap to one with a pair of free throws on Biola's next possession, but Robert Sandoval answered back with a quick basket on the other end to stretch the lead back up to three.
After a pair of defensive stops by either teams the Eagles again cut the lead to one at 61-60 with 14 seconds left. The Cougars' Marshall Johnson was immediately fouled and connected on both free throws. But Biola's last chance effort resulted in a turnover and APU sealed the deal with a three-point play with one second left.
Marshall Johnson led the Cougars with 15 points off the bench with Brandon Dunson adding 11 for the Cougars.
Biola looks to bounce back on Saturday, but has a tough challenge ahead, hosting No. 1 Concordia University in a GSAC contest at 7:30 p.m.
