Men’s basketball saw their season come to an end in the final moments Thursday night as the Eagles were unable to upset No. 17 Hope International University in the quarterfinals of the Golden State Athletic Conference.

While both teams battled back and forth throughout the first and most of the second half, it all came down to the final 30 seconds.

Senior forward David Cline sank both free throws to give the Eagles a one-point lead. Hope, looking to respond quickly, found Jeremy Kilgore open on the perimeter. The All-GSAC junior guard hit a dagger 3-pointer to give the Royals a two-point lead with twenty ticks on the clock.

Biola wasn’t done yet, though. After calling a timeout, and with 15 seconds remaining, senior guard Jeremy Pope drove the lane and put up a layup to tie the game. Skipping off the glass, and just bouncing off the rim, junior forward Zach Zaragoza snagged the rebound and put up another shot in the final few seconds. The ball teetered on the edge of the rim, but fell and was tipped away to give Hope the 58-56 win.

Cline finished with his ninth double-double on the season, scoring 16 points and grabbing 10 boards. Pope also finished in double figures with 11 points. Sophomore forward Mike Kurtz, who ranks second in the nation in blocks per game, finished with 4 blocks.

The end of the season marks the first time since 2008 the Eagles will not be playing in the NAIA Championship Tournament. It also is the first time in six seasons Biola finishes below .500 on the year.