Ranked No. 19 in the most recent NAIA polls, Biola women’s basketball came into the week 16-9 and 11-5 in conference play before heading out on the road for two tough conference games against Concordia and The Masters College.
Against Concordia, the game was close throughout, with Biola trailing 32-31 at halftime. Later, Junior forward Jessilyn Conicelli hit a layup with 34 seconds left to give the Eagles a 62-61 late-game lead. But on an offensive rebound, Concordia’s Nicole Fu was fouled and hit one of two free throws to send the game into overtime.
The extra period was not kind to Biola, who shot just one of seven in overtime. Although senior guard Chelsea De Luca hit two free throws to bring it to within one point with one minute left, Concordia held on for the 67-66 win.
The bright spot for the Eagles, who shot a dismal 38.8 percent from the field, was junior forward Jennifer French, who had a season-high 28 points on 11-21 shooting. French added six rebounds and four blocks. Conicelli ended with 17 points and 14 rebounds. Concordia’s bench was the key in the game, outscoring the Eagles’ 16-2 and accruing a total of 28 points off turnovers. Biola leads the GSAC in rebounding, but Concordia won the battle on the glass this time, grabbing 47 rebounds to Biola’s 42.
The Eagles came into the game Tuesday night just one game ahead of The Master’s College, desperately needing a win to put them in position for a postseason run. Once again, Biola’s inside pair of junior center Christina Barclay, along with Conicelli, each put up double-doubles, and the Eagles overcame an 11-point deficit at halftime to win 73-63.
Barclay had 16 points and 16 rebounds, along with three assists and two blocks, while Conicelli added 14 points and 13 rebounds. Sophomore guard Charrise Reece and senior guard Elise Paty each had 12 points. Biola had 14 points in the paint in the second half alone, while shooting 47 percent from the floor. Also key was the play of the Eagles’ reserves, who outscored Concordia 9-0 in the second half while assisting in the 21-point-swing after halftime.
The Eagles improved to 17-10 and 12-6 in conference. If Biola wins one of their final two games, they will achieve their best GSAC record ever. The Eagles play their final home game of the regular season on Saturday, Feb. 27 against Cal Baptist, a part of Homecoming Weekend 2010. Tipoff is at 5:30 p.m. in Chase Gymnasium.
