Box Score LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Biola Women's Basketball saw a commanding 11-point lead evaporate before its very eyes with another rough fourth quarter, but Head Coach Alan Nakamura's team did just what it needed to do down the stretch to escape with a 67-66 win over UC Merced on Saturday afternoon.
 
The Eagles and Bobcats both came into play looking to shake four-game losing streaks, and a huge run to start the third quarter is what allowed Biola to open up a lead large enough to sustain UC Merced's late surge and be the side to successfully shake the streak.
 
"We knew Merced is a talented and determined team. We played well in spurts, but had a difficult time sustaining our runs," said Head Coach Alan Nakamura. "I am proud of the way the players stick together through adversity and never lose their composure."
 
After a back-and-forth first two quarters left the Eagles with a narrow four-point lead at halftime the team regrouped and came out ready to play for the second half. Biola scored 17 of the first 21 points of the third quarter to storm to a 57-41 lead with not much time left before the final frame.
 
DeMoria White scored six of those 17 points as she turned into a true floor general in helping the Eagles capitalize on the momentum they were accumulating during that 7-minute stretch. She would end the afternoon with a game-high 23 points, her 8^th 20-point game of the season.
 
After that stretch the turnover bug bit and Biola had difficulties maintaining possession for much of the remainder of the game. This was illustrated by the fact that the Eagles had just seven points in the fourth quarter.
 
On the other end of the court UC Merced began making shots in the fourth quarter that they did not have falling at all for the rest of the 40 minutes. The Bobcats were able to turn Biola's 20 turnovers into an extra 16 points that made the final few minutes of the game very, very interesting.
 
Biola held onto a double-digit lead as late as the 3:33 mark of the fourth quarter, but some missed free throws and more turnovers allowed UC Merced to knot the game at 66 with :56 left on the clock.
 
The Eagles went 1-of-4 on free throws and 0-1 from the field in the final minute, but the defense was steady enough to not allow a single shot from the Bobcats in order to escape with the narrow win.
 
Danielle Kennedy turned in another strong performance in the win. The sophomore guard finished with 16 points and shot 50 percent from the field in her second-straight double-digit scoring effort.
 
Sara Dougan also got to double-digits, but it was in rebounds. She finished the game with 10 boards, five points and a very impressive three blocks.
 
"We have a very challenging week coming up in the GSAC with games against two of the top teams in the NAIA - Westmont and Masters. We'll enjoy Sunday and then, as usual, get back to work on Monday," said Nakamura.
 
The Eagles improve to 9-7 on the season and finish their non-conference schedule with a winning record for the fourth time in the last five seasons. Biola is back at home and back to Golden State Athletic Conference play with a matchup against Westmont at 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 5.