AZUSA, Calif. – The 120th men's basketball edition of the Cornerstone Cup rivalry went down to the wire, with Biola knocking down a three at the buzzer to edge out Azusa Pacific, prevailing by a final score of 76-75 Saturday evening inside the Felix Event Center.
Ken West had 21 points in a losing effort for the Cougars.
How It Happened: The game was close throughout the first half, with neither team leading by more than six in the opening 20 minutes. The Cougars built up a small 21-17 advantage thanks to an 8-0 run in the middle of the half, only for that to be answered by a 12-2 Biola run that gave the Eagles their largest advantage of the night at 29-23 with two minutes left in the period. The Cougars were able to respond, with
Michael Saba and
Ken West combining to score seven points on the Cougars' three remaining trips down the floor in the half, pulling back within a point at intermission, 31-30.
The Cougars took the lead early in the second half on a
Ken West three and would hold it all the way to the dying second, largely on the strength of blistering-hot outside shooting. After missing their first long ball of the second half, Azusa Pacific would make eight out of nine three-point tries, the last of which, by Saba, gave the Cougars their largest lead of the ballgame at 64-51 with 8:50 remaining and prompted a Biola timeout. The Cougars traded baskets for the next few minutes and still led 73-62 with just over four minutes to play.
But that's when the Eagles slammed the door shut. The Cougars made only one shot over their final seven possessions, two of which included missing the front end of a one-and-one free throw opportunity. The second of those chances came with the Cougars up by two with 4.8 seconds remaining. Off that miss, Biola grabbed the rebound, dribbled three times to get over the half court line, and threw up a 30-foot jumper that swished through the net, prompting a celebration from the Eagles' contingent in the building.
By the Numbers: If not for that Biola three, the Cougars would have been celebrating their own season-best 13-23 outing from beyond the arc. West had a double-double with 21 points and 10 rebounds. He was joined in double figures by
George Reidy, who scored 19 points,
Nate Kleppe with 12, and Saba with 11.
Ethan Speaker had 5 points and 10 rebounds up front. The Cougars will spend a while lamenting their 8-16 performance at the free throw line for the evening. Biola took spectacular care of the basketball, only committing two turnovers the entire game. The win snapped a five-game win streak for the Cougars in the head-to-head series, which Azusa Pacific leads 66-54.
Up Next: Azusa Pacific (5-10, 4-4 PacWest) will conclude their five-game homestand on Thursday evening when they host Fresno Pacific. Tipoff in the Felix Event Center is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
