Box Score LA MIRADA, Calif. --- It may not have mattered in the standings, but on the court and in the stands, another chapter in Biola versus Azusa Pacific never lacks for meaning.
 
In tonight's exhibition meeting, the Eagles avenge last year's defeat by holding the Cougars to just 21.7 percent from the floor in a 56-46 victory at Chase Gymnasium. In a game where neither team shot particularly well, Biola played through frustration and physicality to capitalize at the free throw line against a very skilled and athletic Cougars team.
 
A hectic, back-and-forth final half had Biola pulling away with a 9-2 run coming out of halftime. This was immediately followed by a 13-0 Cougars run that, with only nine minutes left, seemed to put all the momentum against Biola down the stretch. However, the Eagles dismissed any notion of a momentum shift, pounding their way to the free throw line to equalize and pull away with time to spare.
 
"Tonight our play was not pretty, but we were able to get the job done," said Head Coach Dr. Bethany Miller. "Our girls did a great job staying composed after the 13-0 run; staying composed, executing with discipline and getting back in the flow of the offense. I was really proud of the way the girls stepped up to finish the game."
 
It was a sloppy game throughout most of the night, with the Cougars unable to get shots to fall and Biola coughing the ball up against Azusa Pacific's full-court pressure. The Eagles committed 24 turnovers, an even dozen each half, as they could never get comfortable against the shifting zones and presses of the Cougars. On the other end, Biola found even more success against their pressuring counterparts with the standard defense, locking down in the post and crowding shooters along the perimeter.
 
"Our posts really battled. They have excellent posts. Kelly Hardeman is a great player, and she was held to 5-of-26 shooting," said Miller. "Our girls did an excellent job to contain her, as well as the rest of their team that does a great job offensively. They [Azusa Pacific] did not shoot well tonight on the road, but I do think our defensive pressure is something the girls are getting better at."
 
The defense had to be excellent for the Eagles to win a game where they struggled in almost every other aspect. Besides the turnovers, the Eagles only managed to shoot 35 percent from the field and 26.3 percent from three-point range. The team also attempted a staggering 29 fewer field goals than the Cougars. Some of these lost chances were earned back at the free throw line where Biola attempted 31 shots to APU's 15, but it was also a flashing neon sign pointing to the Eagles' struggle to rebound against the Cougars. The Cougars collected 21 of their own misses. They had more offensive rebounds than defensive rebounds, which is a very rare statistical feat. The 21 offensive boards meant they collected nearly 40 percent of their missed shots, which they had a lot of. 
 
With Chelsea Hill in foul trouble, and eventually fouling out, Biola was at a size disadvantage down low. However, Elizabeth Munger did her best to clean the glass, grabbing a team-high eight rebounds, and Khadidja Diakite continued her strong start to the season with a strong finish to this game. She grabbed six boards and scored a team-high 15 points, including an and-one layup with 40 seconds left that pushed Biola's lead to double-digits and completely cemented its win.
 
Biola now gets to see if their recent defensive success will travel, as it resumes its regular-season slate with a road match at UC Merced on Saturday.