Box Score IRVINE, Calif. --- Tuesday's game against a familiar foe in Concordia-Irvine showed that Biola will slide into NCAA Division II and PacWest conference play just fine.
 
The visiting Eagles played things very close for three quarters and pulled ahead early in the second half before a slight stumble in the fourth quarter resulted in a 51-60 loss.
 
Biola started the game with a strong defensive showing against the Concordia-Irvine starters. Through the first 20 minutes, the Eagles defensive held the home starting five to a combined 1-for-11 from the field and a total of four points. Biola also had a six rebound advantage and led eight-to-four in the steals category headed into the break.
 
But the Concordia-Irvine replacements rallied for 23 points during the first half while Biola scored 22 points total; Sopavy Seng scored the most points off the bench for the home team (11) on 2-of-6 from three and would finish the game with a team leading 19 points.
 
Coming out of the locker room Biola was firing on all cylinders: turning the momentum of the game in its favor by aggressively attacking the rim for five layups and 8-of-13 shooting in the third quarter.
 
The visiting team's 21 points in the third nearly doubled the Eagles point total after 30 minutes and helped them take the lead for the first time on a three pointer from Annie Park at the 4:24 mark.
 
Biola would take the lead once more with 7:03 left in the fourth quarter after Concordia-Irvine adjusted to the visitors' work in the key. But Biola came up dry from beyond the arc in its attempt to respond to their opponent's defensive adjustments: shooting 0-of-7 from three in the fourth quarter despite a 6-for-12 effort from two point range.
 
After Biola's record-breaking 16 made three pointers in their last game six days ago, shooting 4-for-20 from beyond the arc was the biggest difference maker in the result of Tuesday's game due to Concordia-Irvine's 7-of-24 shooting from deep.
 
Biola finished with a better shooting percentage and a markedly better free throw percentage than the home team (.867-to-.652), but the home team's well-timed three pointers kept Biola at bay and eventually pushed Concordia-Irvine to a nine point final margin.
 
Biola had three double-digit scorers in Tatum Brimley (10), Joclyn Kirton (15) and DeMoria White (16), and a double-digit rebounder in Khadidja Diakite (10).
 
The 5-3 Eagles will play another game on the road this Saturday when they face NCAA Division III Chapman University in Orange at 5:00 p.m.