Box Score PHOENIX, Ariz. --- The best teams become the best teams because they know how to effectively press in and execute a carefully crafted game plan when it matters the most.
 
Biola Men's Basketball did just that over the final few minutes of play at No. 17 Arizona Christian on Tuesday night. The Eagles went into a gym where ACU had an 11-0 record in 2015-16 and just outlasted the Firestorm for a 62-60 victory.
 
After the Firestorm jumped out to a quick 8-2 lead the Eagles found themselves in unfamiliar territory while playing from behind for much of the first half. ACU opened up as large as a 10-point advantage in a first 20 minutes that favored the strong outside shooting of the home team.
 
However, once the deficit hit that double-digit number Dr. Dave Holmquist effectively lit a fire under his team and the Eagles began to chip away by scoring six consecutive points. During that stretch of time ACU attempted only three-point field goals, and without the success it was experiencing earlier it had to change its approach on the fly.
 
Once Biola had the game back within reach it controlled the game from its defensive end as ACU attempted only one more three-point shot over the final six-plus minutes of the first half and had to try to beat Biola's suffocating interior defense.
 
Biola would take its first lead of the game with three minutes left in the first half and from that point on the two teams would spend the remainder of the game trading the lead back and forth like 90s kids traded Pokemon cards.
 
The Firestorm took a three-point lead into the halftime break as the two teams were close to even in just about every major stat category. The biggest differences in the first half were ACU's early three-point shooting and the Eagles' edge in pulling down rebounds.
 
The second half was put up or shut up time as two top-20 programs really stepped up their game as Biola looked to keep atop the conference standings and Arizona Christian looked to keep its home court unblemished.
 
The largest lead either side was able to open up in the second half was a five-point margin that Biola hit twice around 11 minutes into the period.
 
The pesky three-pointer made its return in the second half as it became ACU's primary weapon for putting a damper on any Biola's long runs. Each time BU would open up a decent margin on the Firestorm Brandon Newman or Mishima Gray would step back and hit a shot from behind the arc to tighten things again. More than half of ACU's attempts from the field on Tuesday night came from distance.
 
The 10^th time the lead changed hands in the second half would prove to be the final time it would change as the Eagles took a lead at 54-53 with just under five minutes to play and never again allowed ACU to take a lead.
 
Dakari Archer, Terrell Funches and Jeff Gonzalez scored all of Biola's points down that stretch run as the trio took the game into their own hands to gut out a win against a team Biola hadn't beaten in Arizona since 2011.
 
The biggest shot of the game was a three-point shot by Jeff Gonzalez with 1:38 left on the clock that extended Biola a 59-56 lead, which afforded a large enough margin to even outlast ACU having the final possession of the game.
 
Gonzalez actually made two shots from beyond the arc in this one as he worked his way towards 12 points. He again came up one rebound shy of a double-double with nine. Tonight was the big man's third consecutive double-digit scoring night and fourth in the last five outings.
 
Terrell Funches led the Eagles with 18 points on 5-of-11 shooting. His key contribution was going 6-of-8 from the free-throw line, including 4-of-6 in the second half. Archer was also 5-of-11 and ended with 12 points.
 
Efficient scoring from Blake Shannon, Jr. and Steve Herve (14 points combined) was also critical on a night when every last point counted.
 
Biola improves to 25-3 (12-2 GSAC) as the Eagles reach 25 wins for the 22^nd time under Holmquist. It is the first 25-win season since 2011-12. Biola is the first team in the nation to eclipse 25 wins. ACU falls to 20-6 (8-5 GSAC).  The Eagles sit one game ahead of No. 7 Hope International for first place in the Golden State Athletic Conference.
 
The Eagles have just two games remaining in their 2015-16 regular season. The team returns home to Chase Gymnasium for both, beginning with Saturday's 4:00 p.m. game against Menlo (9-17, 3-10 GSAC). After that game we will have a short ceremony in honor of coach Holmquist earning his 900^th career win.