AZUSA, Calif. – Reminiscent of last year's Cornerstone Cup game in the Felix Event Center, it was once again another back-and-forth battle between Azusa Pacific and Biola. And once again, the Eagles walked off the court in the Felix Event with another win in the final minutes, this time winning 77-72 over the Cougars.

Putting on a fiery second-half performance, Maui Sze led the Cougars with four triples en route to 20 points. Kaleb Taylor also added a career-high 10 rebounds and contributed two blocks and eight points, including an electric slam dunk that set the crowds wild.

How it Happened: As both teams settled into the game, Biola jumped to a 12-4 lead early in the first half. However, the Cougars clawed back with a 7-0 scoring run to bring it back tied 12-12 with 13:33 to go in the first half.

From there, the Eagles would take its lead, holding it for the remainder of the first half. The Cougars were able to get within a point thanks to an electric slam dunk throwdown by Kaleb Taylor, but just a few minutes later, the team found themselves trailing by eight, with 3:04 to go in the half. 

Maui Sze then knocked down back-to-back triples for the Cougars to bring the score to 35-33 heading into halftime. Despite trailing, the Cougars were firing in the first half, scoring seven triples so far.

Continuing the close battle, Biola held a lead for the first five minutes of the second half until a three-pointer by Chris Gayles Jr. knotted things up 44-44 with 13:21 to go. After a jumper by Biola, Shant Chenorhavorian got in on the action scoring his second triple of the game and gave the Cougars its first lead since the first minutes of the game.

The lead changed 10 times for the rest of the half, however, the Cougars ran into foul trouble early, forcing the Eagles to 23 free-throw attempts in the second half alone. Those free-throw opportunities turned out to be critical in Biola's win, despite shooting just 20-for-27 in a rowdy Felix Event Center.

With 6:42 to go in the second half, Michael Saba's made free throws gave the Cougars a 62-61 lead. As both teams exchanged baskets and leads, Maui Sze had a layup to bring the game within one point with 5:14 left.

However, those early fouls proved to be the difference as Biola went on to shoot 7-for-8 in the final minutes and despite a late push by the Cougars, it was not enough as the Eagles stepped out with the Cornerstone Cup victory for the second year in a row.

Cornerstone Cup Notes: Azusa Pacific has lost each of the last four meetings with Biola. Prior to this streak, the Cougars had won the last five in a row. Despite the recent losses, Azusa Pacific still holds a 66-58 all-time lead, dating back to the teams' first meeting in 1966.

By the Numbers: The Cougars knew they needed to step big and did so on defense, leading the rebound battle 43-39 and contributing eight blocks as a team. While Biola had more opportunities as the Cougars ran into foul trouble early in the second half, both teams struggled at the free-throw line tonight. The Eagles shot 20-for-27 (74.1%) while Azusa Pacific was 10-for-15 (66.7%). Despite this, the Cougars were strong from beyond the arc, finishing with 12 three-pointers. This marks their 15th game this season with 10+ triples, and they currently rank second in the conference with an average of 9.3 three-pointers per game.

Up Next: Azusa Pacific (12-15, 7-12 in PacWest) will wrap up the 2024-2025 season with Senior Day celebrations this Saturday against Academy of Art. After facing the top two teams in the PacWest (Point Loma and Biola), the Cougars will now challenge the third-ranked Urban Knights. Tip-off at the Felix Event Center is set for 3:30 p.m., following a pregame ceremony to honor three seniors: Trevan Martin, Maui Sze, and Chris Gayles Jr.