LA MIRADA, Calif. – There were nine lead changes and 10 ties throughout Thursday's Pacific West Conference battle between Academy of Art men's basketball and Biola, as the close affair could not be contained to just 40 minutes of play thanks to ART U forcing overtime after erasing a nine-point deficit in the second half. Action was decided in the closing moments of the extra period after a clutch 3-pointer from ART U junior guard Klay Brown tied the contest, but BU forced the ball down the floor to squeeze in a layup with six seconds left and squeak away with a 71-69 victory. 

Graduate student guard Joshua Bagley helped the Urban Knights (10-9, 6-5 PacWest) keep pace early on with the Eagles (14-4, 8-3 PacWest), as the two teams traded buckets and turnovers to start the contest. Soon enough Academy of Art would open the game up with an 11-3 run thanks to contributions from four different Urban Knights, giving ART U its largest lead of the game at eight points.

The lead wouldn't last long as the Eagles responded with a 17-2 run of their own over the next eight minutes to seize the lead and control of the game, though an Urban Knights bucket at the buzzer would make it just a five point-game at 29-24 going into the break.

Consecutive Biola jumpers gave the Eagles a nine-point lead early in the second half, the largest of the game by either team, but Academy of Art would twice cut the deficit to just one point early on in the second frame. The first occasion came on a jumper from junior forward Mike Asante, while sophomore forward Cheickna Sissoko did the same with a jumper of his own a few minutes later, but the lead would allude the Knights until a trey from Brown would put them on top with just over three minutes left in regulation. 

Play would level out once again in the closing moments after a layup from graduate student guard Deang Deang, as both teams matched one another with a pair of clutch free throws at the line. There were two more chances for the Knights to steal the game in regulation, but a jumper and following three-point attempt couldn't find the bottom of the net before time expired.

Each squad converted on their first two possessions in overtime, but after shooting 51.9 percent from the floor in the second half, the Urban Knights' momentum appeared to slow. That was, until the last second shot from beyond the arc by Brown, tying the game with 11 seconds left.

Instead of calling a timeout, Biola inbounded the ball and ran the length of the floor before forcing the ball inside the paint to Michael Bagatourian, who was responsible for all six Eagles points in overtime, using the glass on one final layup with six seconds remaining. Academy of Art would run the court as well, but could not get a shot off in the closing moments as Biola held on for the two-point win. The loss dropped ART U's overtime record to 1-2 on the season. 

Four Urban Knights once again scored in double figures led by Brown's 18 points and eight rebounds, with 14 of his points coming in the second half and overtime. Chipping in 12 points of his own was graduate student guard Denny Slay, while Bagley and graduate student forward Adrian Byrd-Jelinek poured in 11 apiece. 

Academy of Art was able to control the boards against the top rebounding team in the PacWest, pulling down 45 rebounds as a team (one shy of their season-high that they set against UH Hilo) to just the 35 from Biola. It was Sissoko leading the charge on that front by grabbing 10 on his own, while all nine Urban Knights ended the game with at least one rebound. Ball movement was also working for ART U despite the defeat, reaching a total of 18 assists for just the fifth time this season, with Bagley's five helpers topping all players. 

It will be a quick turnaround for ART U, as the Knights will have the chance to end their three-game slide on Saturday when they face off against the Cougars of Azusa Pacific at 3:30 p.m.