SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- Sophomore Marek Klassen nailed a 3-pointer with the clock winding down and the Sea Lions upset NAIA No. 20-ranked Biola University Saturday night at Golden Gym, 51-50.

After giving up an early 10-point lead, the Sea Lions found themselves down by two going into the final possession. Senior Rhett Beal missed a couple of shots inside, but Sophomore Hayden Lescault grabbed the ensuing rebound and found Klassen waiting outside the arch for the game-winner.


Klassen led all scorers with 17 points and added 5 rebounds, and the senior Beal added nine points and seven boards.
 
The first half turned into an ugly affair as both teams shot a combined 32 percent and totaled 14 turnovers.
 
Klassen opened the scoring with a 3-pointer off a handoff from sophomore Ross Davidson, but Biola's Andre Murillo answered with a couple of layups in traffic to put Biola up 4-3.
 
After a 3-pointer from Hayden Lescault (PLNU) and a layup by Given Kalipinde (Biola), the score was tied at six.
 
During the next few minutes, the Sea Lions went on a 6-0 run capped by a jumper from Beal. A Biola bucket and another jumper from Beal with 12 minutes left in the half brought the score to 14-8.

Following several scoreless minutes, the Sea Lions stretched their lead to ten, the largest lead of the night by either squad. But the Eagles countered with a 10-0 run of their own to even the score at 18 with two and a half minutes until the break.
 
Davidson finally stopped the bleeding with a baby hook in the lane. The teams traded a couple of baskets, and the Sea Lions entered halftime up 22-20.
 
Following the break, Biola's Zack Zaragoza scored inside to tie the game at 22. But mustachioed senior Wil Bush nailed a pair of treys to put the Sea Lions back up by six.
 
The Eagles tried again and again to cut into the Sea Lions' lead, but the Green and Gold responded with an array of long-range shots and free throws.
 
Eventually the Sea Lions finally cracked, and with six minutes to go, Zaragoza sank a 3-pointer to even the score at 42. After a miss by Bush, Zaragoza scored again to give the Eagles their first lead since the opening minutes
 
But the Sea Lions responded quickly, and Klassen nailed a shot from deep to retake the lead. Then Biola's Chase Adams notched a layup to put the Eagles up again, but Klassen answered with another three to put the Green and Gold back up 48-46.
 
With 2:15 left in the game, Klassen drove to the hoop, but Davey Hopkins stripped the ball and dished to Kalipinde to tie it, and 30 seconds later Hopkins scored inside to give Biola a 50-48 lead with just over a minute to go.
 
On the next Sea Lions possession, Beal was stuffed underneath, but Biola Zaragoza missed a 3-pointer, and the Sea Lions received one last chance.
 
 With the clock winding down, Beal missed twice in the lane, but Lescault flung the second miss out to Klassen for the deciding shot.
 
However, 11 seconds remained, and the Eagles had their own shot to retake the lead. But the Sea Lions refused to back down and successfully defended the last-ditch efforts to notch their seventh win in eight games.
 
The win brought the Sea Lions to 11-4 on the season and 4-2 in Golden State Athletic Conference play. They are in a four-way tie for second place, one game back of leader Westmont. The Eagles dropped to 12-6 on the year and to 2-4 in the GSAC.

On Tuesday, the Sea Lions will host No. 7-ranked Azusa Pacific. Tipoff is slated for 7:30 pm.