AZUSA, CALIF. -- Jason Boswell's 3-point play with 1:02 left in the game snapped a 57-57 tie and propelled the NAIA's No. 3-ranked Azusa Pacific to a 62-59 victory over No. 13-ranked Biola in the championship game of the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC) Postseason Championship game Tuesday night at Whittier College.

With the win, Azusa Pacific earns the GSAC's automatic bid into the NAIA National Championship Tournament in Tulsa, Okla., next week (March 17-23). Despite the loss, Biola still advances to the NAIAs as well, receiving 1 of the 10 available at-large berths into the 32-team field.

Jeremy DeVries led Azusa Pacific with 17 points, including 12 in the second half when he lifted the Cougars to a 46-35 lead with 10:22 left in the game.

"This is the seniors' last game in California," said DeVries. "This is a great team with a great fan base, but we knew we had to play great defense to beat a team of Biola's caliber. This is a different game than what we are used to playing. They slowed the tempo down, and we had to adjust."

Biola scored 6 consecutive points, thanks in part to a technical on Azusa Pacific's Brad Alley, to shave the Cougar cushion to 46-41. The Eagles eventually knotted the game at 49 when Damien Johnson canned 2 free throws with 6:10 to play. DeVries then scored 5 straight points to put Azusa Pacific back up 54-49 with 4:10 left in the game. However, Biola scored 8 of the game's next 11 points, the last 2 on another pair of Johnson free throws to knot the game at 57 and set up Boswell's heroics.

"I knew if I took the ball to the hole, I would at least get fouled," said Boswell, who hit a trey to start the game and then didn't score again until his game-deciding 3-point play. "This game is critical going into the NAIAs. We need momentum and hopefully this will give us a push in the next game."

Biola, which led 21-17 just under 12 minutes into the game, was paced by Johnson and Jack Hartman, who each tossed in 18 points. The Eagles relinquished their lead on DeVries' free throws with 5:33 left in the first half. They never got it back the rest of the game, though they did tie the score 3 times in the final 6 minutes.

"This game was about pride," said GSAC Coach of the Year Bill Odell. "It was competitive. It was physical. But we were a little bit fresher at the end. Boswell's play at the end is the kind of leadership we've wanted all year long."

Despite a poor 11-for-35 (.314) effort from the floor during the first 20 minutes, Azusa Pacific led 28-26 at the half. The Cougars hit 2 early treys to take a 6-4 lead and then made just 1 of their next 9, opting to take the ball down low. Guard T.J. Walker led the Cougars with 8 first half points, but was just 3-for-11 shooting. Nate Getz added 6 points in the first half.

Azusa Pacific, which has now won 14 straight games, heads to the NAIAs with a 31-4 record, the best mark in school history. Biola is 29-6 heading to Tulsa.

The pairings of the 1998 NAIA Men's Basketball Championship Tournament will be released on Wednesday, March 11, at 4:30 p.m. (PST) via a live telecast to be aired in the Upper Turner Campus Center at Azusa Pacific.