Phoenix, Ariz. - Senior guards Houston Friend (Phoenix, Ariz./Scottsdale Christian Academy), ACU's career three-point field goal leader with 212, and senior guard Josh Cole (Phoenix, Ariz./Westview H.S.) could not have followed the Senior Night script any better. After being honored prior to the game by a crowd of 250 with many of their friends and family in attendance, Friend and Cole combined for 23 points and five three-pointers, including 11 points and 3 three- pointers in the last four minutes of the game that brought Arizona Christian University (11-16, 9- 3 PCAC) back from a five-point deficit to a 66-63 victory over Portland Bible College from Oregon (4-22, 1-12 PCAC), in Tuesday, Feb. 21 Pacific Christian Athletics Conference (PCAC) men's basketball action at ACU's Fultz Memorial Gymnasium in Phoenix. Coached by Rick Roth, ACU finished the season with nine consecutive PCAC wins and wins in nine of its last 12 

games. 

ACU led by as many as 14 points in the first half, 27-13, with 8:22 left, and maintained a 35-27 advantage at the halftime intermission. Freshman forward Bryant Avent (Phoenix, Ariz./Valley Christian H.S.) scored 11 points and grabbed six rebounds for the Firestorm in the first 20- minutes period. 

However, PBC began the second half with a 17-2 run and with guard Doug Noteboom scoring seven points including a three-pointer, took a 44-37 lead over ACU with 14:24 left in the game. Cole scored five points, including a three-pointer, and s.ophomore guard Albert Suniga (Phoenix, Ariz./Tolleson Union H.S.) hit two baskets during a 9-2 run that tied the game at 46-46 with 9:33 remaining. The teams were tied twice more in the next two minutes of action before the visiting Wildcats scored five consecutive points, including a three-pointer by guard Juston Coleman, and led 56-51 with 6:19 left and 58-53 with 4:30 left after Noteboom's 19th and 20th but final points of the game. 

Friend drained a three-pointer with 4:11 left on the clock, slicing PBC's lead to 58-56, and after a PBC basket, Friend nailed a second long-range bomb at 3:25, making the score 60-59 in favor of PBC. Avent put ACU ahead, 61-60, off Cole's assist on an alley-oop pass, at 2:30, and Cole gave the Firestorm a 64-60 lead with his third three-pointer of the game at 1:22 and iced the game with three seconds left by making two free throws for a 66-60 margin. An off-balance three-pointer by PBC's Tim Mahan at the buzzer provided the final 66-63. 

Avent led ACU with 14 points, one three-pointer, nine rebounds, a blocked shot and a steal, and Cole totaled 13 points, 3 three-pointers, six rebounds, five assists, a blocked shot and two steals. Friend contributed 10 points, two three-pointers and three rebounds in his finale, and finished with 212 career three-pointers in 81 games. Suniga, ACU's leading scorer this season at 14.4 points per game, added nine points, seven in the second half, and junior guard A.J. Koch (Tucson, Ariz./Flowing Wells H.S.) scored seven points. Freshman forward Jared Culbert (Henderson, Nev./Coronado H.S.) gave ACU six points, seven rebounds, a blocked shot and a steal. 

Noteboom accounted for 20 points, two three-pointers, four rebounds, three assists and one steal for Portland Bible, and guard Theo Overstreet added 14 points, nine rebounds, three assists a blocked shot and two steals. Mahan finished with 11 points, 3 three-pointers, a blocked shot and a steal, and guard Jacob Peters contributed eight points on 4-of-4 shooting and gathered four rebounds. Coleman gave PBC six points, two three-pointers, eight rebounds, two assists 

and a steal.