LA MIRADA, Calif. –  Azusa Pacific wrapped up its four-game season series with Biola on Saturday evening, falling by a 70-67 final at Chase Gymnasium in La Mirada.  Five Cougars scored in double figures, as Brennan Rymer, Ben Avera, and Mandrell Worthy each scored 12 points, while off the bench Terrence Becvar had 11 and Bryce Sloan chipped in 10.

How it Happened: Playing for the fourth time this season, and the second time in 24 hours, the Cougars and Eagles kept things close in a physical contest early.  It was the Cougar bench that did the heavy lifting in the early minutes, scoring 13 of their first 18 as Biola held a small lead for much of the first half.  The Cougars kept things close with a zone defense for stretches and tied the game at 28-28 with just under four minutes remaining.  Biola was able to regain the advantage before intermission, though unlike Friday's 12-0 run, they would only be up five at the half.

After the Cougars had gotten back within three early in the second half, an 11-0 run by Biola stretched the lead to double digits for the first time at 53-39.  The Cougars answered back with a quick 13-0 run of their own to get right back in it, and when Ben Avera hit another three from the left wing, the game was tied at 55-55 with 8:50 remaining.  With the game tied at 64-64 and just over three minutes to play, Whitten Dominguez missed a layup.  The Cougars grabbed the rebound and hustled down to the other end, where Avera knocked down his fourth triple of the night from the top of the arc to give the Cougars their first lead since early in the first half.

Turning Point:  Biola had the ball down 67-66 with 34 seconds left.  Jesse Elrod tipped in a miss with 19 seconds remaining to put the Eagles back up by one.  The Cougars missed a runner in the lane, and Biola threw a home run ball to get a layup at the other end to produce the final margin.

By the Numbers: Biola set the tone early with five blocked shots in the first half, and enjoyed a 41-30 rebounding edge on the evening.  Azusa Pacific's bench put up 29 points, and the Cougars were able to hang to the end by converting 12 Eagle turnovers into 18 points.  Alex Wright had a double-double for Biola, finishing with 22 points and 10 rebounds.

Up Next: The Cougars (3-4, 3-3 PacWest Southern California pod) return home to host Fresno Pacific (4-3) in a non-conference game Tuesday at 4:30 p.m., before their next home-and-home series against Concordia next weekend on Friday & Saturday. Tuesday and Friday's games can be streamed for free on Cougars All-Access.