Box Score LA MIRADA, Calif. ---
Chelsea Hill had 14 points and 12 rebounds and
Adijat Adams added 10 points and 11 rebounds, but Biola was unable to overcome a tough Concordia defense, falling 59-54 in a GSAC game on Saturday night at Chase Gymnasium.
Biola falls to 13-15 and to 3-9 in GSAC play with the loss while Concordia picks up just its second win in its last 11 games to move to 6-19 and 4-8 in GSAC play.
While Biola had four players in double-figures led by Hill's 14 points, Concordia had two players combine for 45 of its 59 points. Camesha Patton had 24 points and 18 rebounds while Melody Chavez added 21 points. The pair combined to average just over 15 points per game coming into the contest.
The game was relatively close throughout with five ties and 11 lead changes with neither team leading by more than six.
Concordia opened with a quick six-point lead, using an 8-2 run to go up 10-4 five minutes in. Concordia led 16-12 at the 11:31 mark of the first half, but Biola's defense held the visitors without a bucket over the next eight minutes to go up 20-16. However with Biola only scoring eight points over that stretch, when Concordia found its defense again, it closed out the half on a 10-4 run to go up 26-24 at halftime.
The second half was a back-and-forth affair which came down to the final minutes. Trailing by four with four minutes left, Biola converted a free throw by Amy Freet followed by a jumper by Becca Devere on the next possession to cut the lead to one at 52-51 with 2:46 to go.
Patton answered back on the other end with a jumper to make it a three-point game, but missed on its next trip down the court and committed key turnover with 1:11 left to give the ball back to Concordia. Carly Bishop came down the other way and crushed the spirits at Chase Gymnasium by hitting a long three with 51 seconds left to make it a six-point game.
Freet breathed a bit of life back in with a three-pointer with 32 seconds left, but Bishop then hit two free throws with 23 seconds left to ice it.
Devere and Freet each scored 13 points for the Eagles with Devere matching a season-high and adding five assists, four rebounds and four steals.
Concordia hit a total of seven three-pointers in the game including four in the second half while Biola managed just three--all over the final 20 minutes.
Biola closes out the regular season next week starting with its first trip to Phoenix to take on GSAC newcomer Arizona Christian (4-20, 0-12 GSAC) beginning at 4:30 pm (Pacific Time) on Tuesday afternoon.
