LA MIRADA, CALIF. -- Pilar Surch's semi-desperation 23-foot shot with 3 seconds left lifted Azusa Pacific to a 72-69 Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) victory in La Mirada Saturday night.

Surch's heroics salvaged the Cougars from a wash-out that saw Azusa Pacific blow a 19-point lead (54-35) in the final 13 minutes of the game. Biola knotted the game at 69-69 on a put-back by Carissa King with 10 seconds remaining. On the inbounds play, Surch took a pass from Kelly Speas, dribbled 3 times and let go a leaning trey that found nothing but net.

"That wasn't a designed play," said Surch of her game-winning shot. "Speas just threw it to me and coach (Danielle Jorgenson) was yelling to take it. I thought 'it" meant the shot, but later she told me that she wanted me to take the ball to the hole. I knew I had to get my feet set, and then I just pulled up."

Surch and Speas finished with 18 points each.

The Cougars led by as much as 10 points in the first, settling on a 7-point intermission cushion at 34-27. Surch (10) and Speas (8) combined for 18 points, thanks in part to 3-for-4 shooting from the 3-point arc. Azusa Pacific held Biola to just 12-for-37 (.324) shooting in the first half, but the Cougars committed a whopping 15 turnovers in the first 20 minutes of play.

The Cougars then used a 22-8 run at the start of the second half to race out to 54-35 lead with 13:28 left the game. However, Biola rallied on the strength of its long distance shooting, canning 3 treys in matter of 4 minutes to highlight a 21-1 run that gave Biola a 56-55 lead with 8:30 remaining. The Cougars regained a 58-56 lead on a Lori Reed 3-pointer. Biola never got the lead back in the final 7 minutes of the game.

With the win Azusa Pacific collected its first GSAC win of the season and improves to 12-7 overall, 1-2 in the GSAC. Biola falls to 6-15 overall, 1-3 in the GSAC.