BOX SCORE
LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Senior
Jamie Elias scored a game-high 14 points and added four assists while freshman
Aubree Mittel scored 12, but it was not enough for Biola, which lost an exhibition game against the Australian Institute of Sport 69-57 on Wednesday night at Chase Gymnasium.
The Australian Institute of Sport features the top high school players from Australia and the team lived up to the billing. However, Biola held strong and put together a solid performance.
The game started out with the teams going back and forth. Elias connected on a three-pointer to tie the game at 19-19 with 5:17 to play in the first half. However, the Australian Institute closed out the half on an 11-2 run to take a nine-point lead into halftime.
Biola again came out strong in the second half, closing the gap to five thanks to three-straight buckets by junior Adijat Adams, making it 32-27 just over one minute in. But once again the Aussies responded with a long run, outscoring the Eagles 13-0 over a five-minute stretch to take a 48-29 lead with 12:40 to go.
The Australian team would stretch the lead to as many as 24 but the Eagles rallied late thanks to a three-point barrage. Biola converted a three-point play by Chelsea Hill, then hit three-straight, three-pointers from Elias and Mittel to cut the lead to 11 at 62-51 with 2:30 to play.
After a defensive stand, Mittel hit a pair of free throws to make it a nine-point game with 1:46 to go. However, Biola could get no closer as the Australian Institute of Sport hit free throws down the stretch to win by 12.
Biola shot well from the three-point range, hitting 8-of-19 from beyond the arc. The Eagles real trouble came in the foul column where Biola committed 20 fouls to the Aussie's 10. They made Biola pay by hitting 22-of-28 from the stripe including 18-of-22 in the second half.
Foul trouble cost Biola a pair of players including Adijat Adams, who fouled out after just 14 minutes, scoring eight points and adding six rebounds and three steals.
Biola opens the regular season on Saturday, hosting La Sierra University at 7:30 p.m. in Chase Gymnasium.
