Box Score LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Facing their fourth ranked opponent in a row, No. 14 The Master's College, the Eagles put forth their most competitive outing of the four losses. The defense held a potent Mustangs offense to just 52 points, but the struggling Biola offense could not even muster 50 for the second game in a row, resulting in a 52-47 loss.
 
The Eagles' quartet of forwards, Chelsea Hill, Khadidja Diakite, Taylor Casey and Elizabeth Munger, that overpowered teams early in the season went just 10-35 from the floor as the Eagles scored just 16 points in the paint. TMC's interior defense is long, athletic and did a great job throughout, as Biola scored on only nine of its 29 attempts in the paint. For an offense that ideally likes to initiate offense entirely through the post, that is a crippling conversion rate. For comparison, the Mustangs, a team that generates most of its scoring through some of the best guards in the conference, scored on 11 paint plays of their 20.
 
Even with the shots not falling, Biola's defense was determined to keep it competitive. The Eagles sport the No. 23 defense in the NAIA and for nearly 32 minutes it seemed like it might be enough to grind out the win. With eight minutes to go in the game, Munger, 13 points and seven rebounds in this one, sank both free throws to bring the back-and-forth game again to a tie score. However, the Mustangs' Sydney Emory sank a deep triple, which would inspire Megan Lindsley to drill a three for her first basket of the night. The run would continue into a 10-point lead, and with just four minutes left, the Eagles offense, even with Munger connecting on her first three of the season and second in her four-year career, just didn't have enough juice to close out a comeback.
 
Keeping the offense on life support, the Eagles grabbed 19 offensive rebounds with Annie Park and Aubree Mittel each setting their season-highs with four apiece. This, along with forcing 16 turnovers, gave the Eagles a seven shot advantage on the night, but Biola was unable to truly capitalize on a volume approach to offense as it committed 17 turnovers, its highest in a game since December. 
 
At 4-4 in conference, the Eagles still sit only the tiebreaker behind Westmont and a game behind third-place Vanguard. A five day break before their next game hosting William Jessup should give them plenty of time to work on getting out of this funk. They then head on the road to face three teams in the bottom half of the conference standings.