LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Biola only got better as time progressed on Thursday and withstood a last-minute rush from the visiting Northwest Nazarene Nighthawks to win the Eagles' first game of the season, 67-64.

Head Coach Alan Nakamura's team scored 44 second-half points and benefitted from clutch free throws down the stretch from DeMoria White and Tatum Brimley to even its record at 1-1 on the year.

"This was a great team win. Everyone stepped up and made plays against a very well-coached Northwest Nazarene team," said Nakamura. "Mori and Tatum helped us to finish the game with poise and we always feel good when the ball is in their hands. And our posts did really battled to hold their own against a very good NNU front line."

Both teams played a very scrappy first half that saw the Nighthawks hold the seven-point lead after 20 minutes. Biola committed 13 turnovers in the first half, but quickly rebounded from its mistakes on the defensive end by limiting the visiting team to just seven points off those turnovers.

Additionally, the Eagles started to find their range from beyond the arc in the second period to prevent Northwest Nazarene from running away with the game. Brenna Khaw and Brimley combined to sink the home team's first four three-pointers in the game to bring the game within single-digits and open up the key.

Sara Dougan and White made the most of that opening in the paint in the second half with eight layups between them. After those two players combined for two points in the first half, Dougan and White scored 11 and 18 points, respectively, in the final two periods on 11-of-17 shooting.

The Eagles took the lead for good with 6:53 left in the game, but were ultimately able to hold on because of excellent free-throw shooting from White and Brimley. The backcourt players shot 90 percent from the charity stripe and went 6-for-7 in the final 0:57 of the game as the Nighthawks got three three-pointers to keep things tight. White finished with 20 points and led all scorers for the second-straight game.

"We knew that if we played hard as a team and rebounded as a unit we could comeback," said White. "Free throws are huge in close games and it's always gonna come down to free throws and possession. That's why we practice every day on [free throws]."

White finished with 20 points, leading all scorers for the second-straight game, while Brimley contributed eight fourth-quarter points for a total of 19.

"We have a very challenging non-conference schedule to get us ready for games like this," said Nakamura. "We have been talking a lot about toughness, and Jessica Shill, Sara, Mikayla Greens and Jazz Benn, the whole team really, was tough tonight. We had to be!"

The Eagles travel to Washington next week to play games on Tuesday and Wednesday. Their first contest is against Saint Martin's on Tuesday with tip-off scheduled for 7:00 p.m.