Box Score LA MIRADA, Calif. ---
Cody Wittick had a season-high 16 points and added nine assists, seven rebounds and four steals to lead the way as Biola downed UC Merced 60-50 in a non-conference game on Thursday night at Chase Gymnasium.
The Eagles improve to 9-6 with the win while dropping the Bobcats to 0-15.
Wittick's banner night helped Biola overcome the pesky UC Merced team, which is in just its second year of existence. Dakota Anderson helped the charge with 14 points while David Cline added 12 points and 11 rebounds.
The Eagles opened the game strong, using a 13-3 run to take a nine-point lead at 21-12 at the 6:40 mark. Zack Zaragoza, who had 10 points in the game, hit three free throws after being fouled beyond the arc to cap the run.
UC Merced cut the lead down to four with 3:22 left, but Anderson hit a jumper and added a three-pointer to give Biola a nine-point lead again and the Eagles took a 30-23 lead to the half-time break.
Wittick opened the second half with a three-pointer to take a 10-point lead and led but he same amount at 35-25 when the Bobcats used a 10-2 run over the next four minutes, cutting the deficit to 37-35. Biola answered back with a bucket by Cline which started a long 8-2 run by the Eagles over the next six minutes which made it a 45-37 game with 8:11 left.
UC Merced wasn't finished, though, cutting the lead down to two with a pair of three-pointers and had a chance to tie with Aki Chambers on the line with 4:12 left. But he made just one of two and the Eagles clung to a one-point lead.
Biola led 47-46 after a bucket by Chambers with 3:44 left, but Wittick scored on a tough drive and was fouled, converting the free throw to make it 50-46. A pair of solid defensive stands held the lead until Wittick added another bucket on a tough runner in the lane to make it a six-point game with 1:46 to play. After another stop, Wittick hit a pair of free throws to ice the game.
Chambers led UC Merced with 20 points and added eight rebounds and three steals.
Biola closes out its stretch of three games in three days by hosting West Coast Baptist on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. The Eagles then open GSAC play with a trip to Santa Barbara to take on No. 5 Westmont College on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.
