Box Score LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Biola battled hard against one of the NAIA's top team and came within three minutes of pulling off the upset before ultimately falling 65-56 to No. 2 Vanguard in a GSAC game on Saturday evening at Chase Gymnasium in La Mirada.
The Eagles drop to 9-8 on the season and to 0-2 in GSAC play after falling to a pair of NAIA top 15 teams to start the conference schedule. The Lions remain perfect on the season at 11-0 and are 2-0 in the conference.
Chelsea Hill scored 16 points to lead Biola with Aubree Mittel adding 14 and Becca Devere pouring in a season-high 12 points.
Nearly half of Vanguard's offense came from Nicole Ballestero, who had 31 points and added four assists. She was the lone player in double figures for the Lions.
Biola got off to a hot start, using a 12-2 run over a six-minute stretch to take an early 16-6 lead. Over the run, Mittel scored seven points including a three-pointer with Adijat Adams capping the run with a bucket with 12:14 left. Vanguard would close to within three on a pair of occasions, but the Eagles continued match each bucket by the Lions and still led 31-23 with 3:09 to go in the half.
The Lions ended the period with a four-point run capped by a Ballesteros layup as time expired. Biola clung to a 31-27 lead as the teams headed to the halftime locker.
In the second half, Vanguard opened with a bucket to cut the lead to two and eventually tied the game at 39-39 with 14:19 to go on a three-pointer by Ballesteros. But after a timeout, Devere hit a three-pointer to give Biola back the lead and start a five-point run which put the Eagles up 44-39 with 10 minutes left.
The Lions fought back and eventually took back the lead with 8:01 to go. Taylor Belmont hit a bucket and was fouled to make it a one-point game, but missed the free throw. Vanguard got the offensive rebound and Samantha Doucette hit a jumper to make it 45-44 with 8:01 left. After a defensive stand, the Lions would add to the lead on another second-chance bucket.
But Biola wasn't finished and went inside to Hill for its next three possessions, taking the lead on the third at 50-49 with 5:44 to play. The game remained close with Admas hitting a layup to make it 55-55 with 2:50 remaining. However, on the next Vanguard possession, the Lions would get another offensive rebound and bucket to take back the lead for good and start a game-ending 11-1 run to win 65-56.
The second chance points proved to be killer of the Eagles. Vanguard had 17 offensive rebounds to Biola's seven and held a 24-3 edge in second-chance points. The Eagles also committed 15 turnovers to Vanguard's eight and scored 15 points off of Biola's miscues.
Biola returns to action on Tuesday, heading back on the road to face San Diego Christian in a key GSAC showdown at 5:30 p.m. in El Cajon.
