COSTA MESA – Biola cashed in a myriad of second half free throw opportunities and got balanced scoring from all five starters in a tightly contested 74-71 PacWest men's basketball battle on Saturday in the Freed Center.
The Eagles (9-2, 3-1 PacWest) shot 27 of their 29 free throw attempts over the final 20 minutes. Biola finished the game at 79.3 (23 of 29) percent overall from the charity stripe. It was the biggest difference in the contest, as Vanguard managed a total of just 14 free throw attempts.
Vanguard did a solid job limiting one of Biola's strengths – three-point shooting. The Eagles entered the night averaging 10 threes per game – tops in the PacWest – but the Lions stifled them to the tune of 3 of 16 from distance. Meanwhile, VU shot efficiently from behind the arc, finishing at 45 (9 of 20) percent overall with six different players hitting at least one triple.
Biola hit 13 straight free throws over a five-minute stretch late in the second half to take control of a close game which included 18 ties and 13 lead changes.
All five Eagle starters accounted for 72 of the team's 74 points. Each player hit double figures, led by Erik Howlin with 19 points and Nathan Medina with 17. Davian Brown added 16 points, Damian Esparza had 10, and Casey Cappo finished with a 10-point, 13-rebound double-double.
Junior Bryson Metz led the Blue and Gold with 16 points on 6 of 12 shooting, including a pair of three-pointers. Senior Anthony Tello chipped in 14 points, six rebounds and two steals. Chris Chiles and Leonard Turner contributed nine points each, and Chiles pulled down a team-high seven boards.
Both Turner and Jackson Larsen fouled out as the Lions were whistled for 23 fouls compared to Biola's 15.
Vanguard drops to 6-2 overall and 1-2 in conference play, rekindling a rivalry with the Eagles that had been dormant since the 2016-17 season.
What Happened?: Biola took the lead for good with 4:46 left to play on Medina's layup. Medina drew a foul and converted the free throw for a 61-58 lead. Cappo sank four straight free throws to extend the advantage to 65-59.
The Lions cut the deficit to four on a Chiles layup, and on Biola's next possession Brown corralled a key offensive rebound off a Medina three-point miss. Turner fouled Brown and the Biola guard knocked down two free throws to reestablish another six-point lead.
Chiles drew a foul the next trip down the court and made both free throws to pull the Lions within four once again. However, VU fouled Esparza with 1:17 remaining, and he took advantage by drilling two more free throws, Biola's 12th and 13th straight as a team.
Chiles missed a layup and Howlin drove for a layup to push Biola's lead to 71-63 with 55 seconds to play. Metz raced down to the other end for a layup to draw VU within six, and the Eagles finally misfired from the line with Cappo missing two.
That opened the door for a pair of three-pointers from reserve Micah Swartz, who hit from opposite corners on back-to-back possessions. The second triple whittled VU's deficit to 73-71 with 25 seconds remaining.
VU trapped in search of a steal, but Turner committed his fifth foul on Cappo, and the Eagle big man made one of two free throws for a 74-71 lead. The Lions, who were out of time outs, tried to find an opening on the perimeter for the tie.
Biola had all options covered well, and Tello's desperation heave was off target.
The two teams battled to a 31-31 halftime tie with Howlin scoring 12 first half points. Tello countered with nine for the Lions, who shot just 37.5 (12 of 32) percent in the stanza, while Biola hit at a 48.3 (14 of 29) percent clip.
VU's biggest lead was six at 26-20 with 4:57 remaining, but three-pointers from Medina and Howlin helped the Eagles outscore the Lions 11-5 prior to intermission.
The Lions trailed 35-33 before an 8-0 run – highlighted by threes from Metz and Chiles – helped VU regain a 41-35 lead. But the Eagles responded with an eight-point burst of their own to retake a 43-41 lead. VU grinded it out and eventually built a 56-52 advantage on a Tello trey with 7:01 left.
The Blue and Gold could not pull away as Cappo got inside for a layup, followed by two Brown freebies as the score was knotted at 56-56.
Turner knocked down a jumper for VU's final lead at 58-56. Howlin's two free throws tied the score, and Medina's steal opened up the opportunity for him to convert the crucial three-point play.
VU held a 19-2 edge in bench points, but lost the battle of points in the paint. Biola outscored the Lions 40-28 in that department.
What's Next?: The Lions continue a three-game homestand with a nonconference game against Nobel on Tuesday, December 17 at 5:00 p.m.
