Box Score PHOENIX --- Despite holding an 11-point, second-half lead, Biola was unable to hold on as Arizona Christian outscored the Eagles by 13 and held off a late rally to win 67-61 in a GSAC contest on Tuesday night in Phoenix.
Biola falls to 15-14 on the season and to 5-8 in GSAC play while Arizona Christian--ranked No. 25 in the latest NAIA National Poll--improve to 18-7 and to 8-5 in conference play.
Mike Kurtz led the Eagles with 14 points and added eight rebounds and five blocked shots while Zack Zaragoza contributed 13 points. David Cline had nine points and a game-high 10 rebounds.
Biola played well in the first half, using a 13-2 run early on to take a five-point lead five minutes into the game. The Eagles led 29-28 with 2:35 to go in the first half, but got back-to-back three-pointers from Cody Wittick to take a 25-28 lead to the break.
The run continued in the second half as Zaragoza drained a three-pointer in the opening seconds and Cline hit one of two free throws on the next possession to five Biola an 11-point lead at 39-28 just one minute in.
But Arizona Christian responded with a 14-2 run over the next six minutes to take back the lead at 24-21 with 13:16 left in the game.
The teams went back and forth with Arizona Christian leading by a handful of point and taking a 57-49 lead with 3:10 to go.
Biola didn't quit and got layups from Cline and Kyle Bailey on back-to-back possessions and pulled it back to a two-point game with a jumper by Kline.
The teams exchanged buckets over the next minute and the Eagles got a big steal and dunk from Cline with 37 seconds left to pull it back to to. But Arizona Christian took advantage of sloppy defense and got a quick bucket on the other end to stretch it to four.
Down six with 22 seconds left, Jeremy Pope hit one of two free throws after an ill-advised ACU foul, but the Eagles forced a turnover, then hit a three-pointer by Zaragoza to make it 63-61 with 18 seconds to play.
But Arizona Christian hit two big free throws and Biola could not get anything the rest of the way.
Charles King led the Firestorm with 19 points file Talib Uqdah added 18 points.
The loss drops the Eagles into a three-way tie for fifth-place in the conference at 5-8 with The Master's and Vanguard. Concordia scored a big 93-61 home win against No. 6 Westmont to move up to fourth place while San Diego Christian drops to 4-9 with a 62-47 loss to Hope International.
Biola has a chance to move into fourth place and host a first-round playoff game in the GSAC Tournament which begins next week. The Eagles would need to upset No. 6 Westmont on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in the final game of their regular-season schedule. In addition, Concordia would need to lose at home against Arizona Christian along with a Vanguard loss at San Diego Christian.
