LA MIRADA – No. 18 Biola saw its six-game winning streak come to a sudden end as a subpar shooting night led to a 55-49 win by No. 10 Westmont College in a GSAC game on Tuesday night at Chase Gymnasium.
The Eagles, who were ranked No. 18 in the latest NAIA National poll, fall to 10-4 overall and to 3-3 in GSAC play with the loss, just their first of the new calendar year. The Warriors, who are off to one of the best starts in the program’s history, improve to 13-1 on the season and to 5-1 in GSAC play.
Forward Angel Blanco, who recorded 17 points and eight rebounds, led Westmont while Case added 12 points and three rebounds in the victory.
Sophomore forward Jessilyn Conicelli scored 18 points and added 13 rebounds and three steals for the Eagles while senior forward Megann Alberts contributed 13 points in the losing effort. However, despite those numbers, the bigger problem for the Eagles proved to be their uncharacteristic 32 percent shooting. Biola just was unable to find the basket, especially in the pivotal second half.
Westmont was also able to turn 20 Biola turnovers into 11 points in the low-scoring affair while Biola was able to score four points off 13 Warrior miscues.
Biola used the first 10 minutes of the game to open a 13-8 lead and still led 18-14 after a long three byElise Paty with 7:00 to go in the half. But the Warriors responded with a 14-2 run to close out the half as the Eagles would go 1-of-7 in the final seven minutes and commit six turnovers.
In the second half, Westmont stretched the lead to as many as nine on a pair of occassions as Biola went nearly six minutes without a field goal early on. But the Eagles did not go away quietly, cutting the lead to two points at 41-39 on an Emily Drews three-pointer with 6:56 to play. After exchanging baskets, the Warriors virturally put the game away as Jessica Case drained the only three-pointer of the game by the visitors to stretch the lead back to 46-41 with 4:12 to play.
Biola had a few chances in the closing minutes as Westmont struggled from the free throw line. But the Eagles could not convert those chances and the Warriors escaped with the victory.
