AZUSA, CALIF. -- The NAIA's No. 22-ranked Azusa Pacific opened with a 10-0 run and never looked back on its way to an 88-71 GSAC victory over Biola, Thursday night.

Freshman Allison Box and junior Jennifer Barbone combined for 36 points on 15-for-24 shooting, leading 6 Cougars who scored in double-digits. Box tallied a game-high 22 points on the strength of 4-for-7 shooting from 3-point territory. Barbone added 14 points and 6 rebounds. Senior Jessica Herman tallied a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

The Cougars shot a fine 51% (33-for-65) from the floor and tallied their most points in a regulation GSAC game since 1991.

ãI'm glad we were at home tonight and not on the road at Biola,ä said Cougar coach Danielle Jorgenson, a 1991 Biola grad. ãYou always worry whether your team will bounce back from a heart-breaking loss.ä

Biola was paced by Sarah Montavon's 20 points.

Azusa Pacific led by as much as 21 points (33-12 at the 8:13 mark) in the first half after Biola missed 14 of its first 19 shots of the game. Box, who a week ago set the Azusa Pacific single-season record for 3-pointers, made her first 3 attempts from the arc and led all scorers with 14 first-half points. However, the Eagles mounted a mini rally around the 3-point arc, canning 4 treys in a 4-minute stretch to cut the Cougar lead to 11 points on 2 occasions.

Biola pulled to within in 9 points in the second at 50-41 on a Heather Doud lay-up with 13:21 left in the game. However, the Cougars responded with an 8-1 run in which Amy Lemm scored 4 of her 10 points to retake control of the game at 58-42 with 10:26 left to play.

"We've always believed that it's our defense that makes our offense go," said Box, "and we just buckled down in the second-half, got some deflections and got our offense back into a flow."

With the win, Azusa Pacific improves to 17-5 overall, 8-3 in the GSAC, remaining a game behind front-running Vanguard. Biola falls to 7-15 overall, 5-6 in the GSAC.