Box Score PHOENIX, Ariz. --- Hot second-half shooting and a strong performance from the stripe helped Biola get No. 10 Arizona Christian back on its heels, but the Eagles gave the game away, literally.
 
The Firestorm finished with a 70-65 win despite a lower field goal percentage, free-throw percentage, offensive and defensive rebounds and second-chance points. It was the Eagles' 22 turnovers that made the difference in this excruciatingly close contest, as ACU turned those turnovers, 11 off hot-handed steals, into 24 points.
 
Arizona Christian also had more bench depth making the difference down the stretch run, as they got 12 bench points compared to Biola's one point from the bench. Pierre Zook had to run the show, helping the Eagles pull as close as two points in the final minute by scoring the team's final eight points.
 
The senior sharpshooter ended the night with 19 points, 14 coming in the second half, as he keyed Biola's five three-point makes in the final 20 minutes which helped close what was an 11-point ACU lead to a more manageable figure.
 
The last chance Biola had to legitimately win the contest came at the 00:27 mark, when an ACU offensive foul sent Biola to the stripe shooting two with just a two-point deficit to erase.
 
The Eagles' shot 11-of-13 from the free-throw line up until that point and seemed poised to tie the game late in front of the Firestorm's home crowd. However, both free throws were missed and Biola missed its final two attempts from the field, both deep threes on the right side, to finish five points shy of the upset.
 
Biola's effort was again carried by its big three. Dakari Archer led the scoring for the second game in a row, tallying 23 points on 7-of-11 shooting. Mike Kurtz found himself in a generous mismatch for much of the night, going head-to-head against an undersized ACU frontcourt defense. He made 6-of-8 from the field for an economical 16 points and missed out on logging a third-straight double-double by just one rebound.
 
Outside of Archer, Zook and Kurtz's strong individual outings this one will just go down as yet another Golden State Athletic Conference loss in this continually frustrating season for the Eagles. The team drops to 15-9 (3-7 GSAC) and is now two games back of Vanguard for fifth-place in the conference. ACU improved to 19-5 (8-2 GSAC).
 
The Eagles remain on the road for a matchup against cellar-dweller San Diego Christian (5-13, 0-10 GSAC) on Saturday night.