AZUSA, Calif. -- Elizabeth Matthews scored 20 points, including 18 in the first half as Biola opened up a 28-point lead then held off a furious charge to escape with a 73-70 GSAC win over Azusa Pacific.

The loss snaps the Cougars' season-high 5-game winning streak and drops them to 17-9 overall, 10-6 GSAC. Biola moves to 14-12 overall, 8-9.

Lost in the final outcome was the fact that Azusa Pacific erased all of 40-12 deficit and actually took the lead at one point in the second half.

Matthews scored 15 in a 31-6 Biola first-half spurt over a 7:54 span that turned a 9-6 lead into a 40-12 advantage with 7:30 to play. Matthews hit 4 threes in the run while on the other end, the Cougars couldn't lift the lid off the rim and were just 1-for-14 from the field. And as cold as the Cougars were, the Eagles were equally as hot, scoring on 13 of its 16 possessions, going 11-for-13 from the field, during the onslaught.

However, the Cougars began to heat up while Biola cooled, and they answered with a 21-3 run of its own to get back within 3 before settling for a 13-point halftime deficit. Marie Dyk hit a trio of treys in the Cougar run, and Lindsey West added 12 of her 16 first-half points in the spurt.

Seldom-used Chloe Grimm, a 6-3 freshman from Redondo Beach, saw her most significant action of the season playing 24 minutes. Her lay-up gave the Cougars their first lead of the night, 55-54, with 8:59 to play. Biola's 6-6 center Linda Ogugua hit a pair of free throws 40 seconds later, and the Eagles never trailed again.

Biola took a 69-62 lead with 1:52 to play on a pair of Matthews free throws, her only points of the second half. The Cougars trimmed the lead down to 2 (71-69) after a Dyk trey and a Nicolette Dresback lay-up with 21 seconds left. Dresback forced a turnover on the Eagles' ensuing possession but went just 1-for-2 at the line with 8 seconds left to cut the deficit to 1 (71-70) with 8 seconds left. Shelby Hill buried a pair of free throws with 6 seconds left, and the Cougars game-tying trey attempt fell short at the buzzer.

West finished with a game-high 30 points, going 16-of-18 from the free throw line. She also grabbed 11 rebounds, sharing game-high honors with Grimm. The Cougars out-rebounded the Eagles, 54-32, grabbing 27 offensive rebounds.

Dyk added 13 points, finishing with 4 treys. Ogugua added 17 for the Eagles.