IRVINE, Calif.--- Biola Women's Basketball capped off a 2-0 weekend at the PacWest-CCAA Crossover Tournament with a 61-50 victory over Stanislaus State on Saturday afternoon at CU Arena.
The Eagles (3-0) built a commanding 24-point lead in the second quarter behind a strong defensive effort before holding off a late push from the Warriors. Biola held Stanislaus State to 34.6 percent shooting from the field, won the rebounding battle 40-31 and outscored the Warriors 24-14 in the paint.
The opening quarter featured a competitive back-and-forth battle, with both teams exchanging leads throughout the first five minutes. Stanislaus State held a 9-8 advantage midway through the frame, but freshman
Ella Fritts put Biola back in front with a jumper at the 5:03 mark.
The Eagles took control from there, putting together a 7-0 run sparked by a three-pointer from
Alyssa Kubo.
Jaycee Goldsmith followed with a layup, and Fritts converted a pair of free throws after collecting a steal to give Biola a 17-9 advantage. The Warriors answered with a three-pointer in the closing seconds, but
Laney Grider responded with a triple at the buzzer to send BU into the second quarter ahead 20-12.
Biola carried that momentum into the second frame, with Grider and Fritts each connecting from beyond the arc in the opening two minutes to extend the lead to 26-14. Hanne Løkkebø Nybø added another three-pointer, and the Eagles continued to create separation with their defensive pressure and work on the offensive glass.
Emily Cruz contributed four points from the free-throw line, while
MiaGrace Delahoz capped the offensive surge with a layup at the 4:38 mark to give Biola its largest lead of the afternoon at 38-14.
Stanislaus State closed the half with seven unanswered points, but the Eagles maintained a comfortable 38-21 advantage heading into the break. Biola's defense limited the Warriors to just nine points in the second quarter while the Eagles collected eight offensive rebounds to create additional scoring opportunities.
The third quarter was another defensive battle, with both teams struggling to find their offensive rhythm. Although Biola went 0-for-4 from three-point range, the Eagles found success inside, scoring all 10 of their points in the paint.
Aliyah Bantolina led the third-quarter effort with two layups, while
Camden Miller, Nybø and Grider each added baskets. Biola's defense continued to cause problems for the Warriors, limiting Stanislaus State to seven points on 2-for-12 shooting to extend the Eagles' lead to 48-28 heading into the final frame.
The Warriors refused to go away, putting together their strongest offensive quarter of the game. Stanislaus State shot 9-for-17 from the field in the fourth and gradually chipped away at Biola's advantage.
Ella Tatlock connected from beyond the arc to give the Eagles a 53-32 lead, but the Warriors continued their comeback attempt. A jumper with 1:47 remaining trimmed Biola's advantage to nine points (57-48), the closest Stanislaus State had been since the opening quarter.
Grider delivered a timely response, knocking down her third three-pointer of the afternoon just nine seconds later to push Biola's lead back to 12 points. Nybø added a free throw in the closing seconds to secure the 61-50 victory.
Grider led the Eagles offensively with 16 points on 5-for-10 shooting, including three triples. The senior guard also went a perfect 3-for-3 from the free-throw line while contributing four rebounds and two steals.
Fritts followed with 10 points, two assists and two steals. Bantolina finished with six points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals, while Miller contributed four points, six rebounds and four assists.
Tatlock led Biola on the glass with nine rebounds, including three offensive boards, while
Danya Dykstra collected six rebounds. Goldsmith provided an efficient performance off the bench, scoring six points on a perfect 3-for-3 shooting. Nybø also added six points.
As a team, Biola recorded 15 assists on 21 made baskets and connected on eight three-pointers. The Eagles received 19 points from their bench and finished with a 9-5 advantage in fast-break points.
With the victory, Biola improved to 3-0 overall and completed a 2-0 weekend at the PacWest-CCAA Crossover Tournament.
The Eagles return home on Monday, Nov. 16 to host Cal State Dominguez Hills at 7 p.m. inside Chase Gymnasium.
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