LA MIRADA, Calif. – Hawai'i Pacific University saw Biola go on a 16-2 run early in the second half on the way to beating the Sharks 69-55 in PacWest Conference action on Saturday afternoon at Chase Gymnasium.
 
The Sharks (9-15, 7-11) held a 28-27 lead against the Eagles (14-11, 10-9) with 17:54 to play when BU went on its explosion that sent HPU to its fifth straight loss.
 
The Sharks got a game-best performance from senior Ronald Blain of McDonough, Ga./Union Grove who double-doubled with 25 points and 11 rebounds, but he was the only HPU player to score in double figures. Redshirt freshman Ryan Godges of Santa Barbara, Calif./San Marcos collected eight points off the bench. Sophomore Jacob Foy of Newcastle, Australia/St. Francis Xavier recorded two blocks to lead HPU.
 
The Eagles had four players score in double digits, led by Alex Wright with 18 points. Michael Bagatourian double-doubled with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Chriss Rossow posted 12 points with six assists and three steals, while Jesse Elrod added 11 points with seven boards. Bagatourian, Rossow and Wright all had two blocked shots as well.
 
The Sharks shot 37 percent (10-of-27) from the floor, including 3-of-10 (30 percent) from the 3-point arc. HPU was a perfect 7-of-7 from the foul line. Biola hit 52 percent from the field (17-of-33), but only 2-of-6 (33 percent) from the arc. The Eagles were 8-of-9 (89 percent) from the charity stripe.
 
HPU opened the game on a 10-4 run that featured two of the game's ties before redshirt freshman Elijah Martinez of Denver, Colo./Regis Jesuit and Blain buried 3-pointers on back-to-back possession to put the Sharks up with 15:03 to play in the first.
 
The Eagles chipped back, with Blain keeping HPU up 13-8 at the 12-minute mark. Following a media timeout, Biola went on an 11-0 run to reverse the lead on a Wright layup. The Sharks came back to tie the contest at 21-all on a Blain jumper, then held steady with the Eagles the rest of the period. Freshman Lachlan Viney of Melbourne, Australia/Mazenod sent the game to halftime with a jumper to make it 25-all.
 
The Eagles grabbed the lead on the first possession of the second half on an Elrod jumper, only to have HPU come back to take the 28-27 lead when Foy connected on a triple, his only points of the game with 17:54 to go.
 
Elrod followed with a put-back layup on the next possession and Rossow added a layup. Blain answered with a layup, but the Eagles took off on a 12-0 run that put HPU in a hole it couldn't climb out of.
 
The Sharks battled back to close the gap to eight at 60-52 with 2:35 remaining on a 3-ball by Godges, only to have the Eagles close the game on a 9-3 run for the 69-55 victory.
 
HPU closes its four-game Southern California road swing on Monday evening in San Diego. The Sharks take on Point Loma at Golden Gymnasium. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. HST (7:30 p.m. PST).