IRVINE, Calif. – Arizona Christian University (4-22, 0-14 GSAC) sliced Concordia's 20-point first-half lead to nine points, 42-33, by halftime, and cut a 19-point second half lead to just six points late in the second half, but Concordia University (7-20, 5-9 GSAC) held on to defeat ACU, 85-74, in Saturday, February 23 Golden State Athletics Conference women's basketball action in CU Arena in Irvine, California. 

Coached by Jerry Conner, ACU finishes eighth in the GSAC conference race in its first season as a member of the GSAC. Concordia finishes fifth and now hosts Arizona Christian for a GSAC Women's Basketball Tournament first-round game, Monday, February 25, at 7:30 p.m. (8:30 Arizona time). The winner plays a Wednesday, Feb. 27 second-round game at San Diego Christian College (16-14, 8-6, GSAC), the number four seed. 

In Monday's other first-round game, number six seed Biola University (14-16, 4-10 GSAC) hosts number seven seed Hope International University (12-17, 4-10 GSAC), at 7:30 p.m., in La Mirada, Calif. The winner between Biola and Hope International travels to number three seed The Master's College (25-4, 10-4 GSAC), Wednesday. One Wednesday quarterfinal winner travels to number one seed Westmont College (24-3, 14-0 GSAC) and the other quarterfinal winner plays at number two seed Vanguard (21-3, 11-3 GSAC), Friday, March 1, at 7:30 pm. Friday's semifinal winners meet for the GSAC Championship on Tuesday, March 5, at Concordia's CU Arena in a 5:00 game that will be televised by FOX College Sports 

There is no free admission or pass list for conference championship events. The adult and faculty and staff from the participating colleges are admitted for $10.00, and seniors age 62 and over are admitted for $8.00. A student ticket costs $5.00. 

In Saturday's other GSAC action, Westmont, the NAIA's number four-ranked team, won at Biola, 55-49, and number seven-ranked Vanguard defeated San Diego Christian, 76-49, in San Diego. Number 11-ranked Master's College defeated Hope International, 67-46, at Hope. 

After an 8-8 tie with 16:46 left in the first half, Concordia scored 19 consecutive points and led 27-8 with 11:10 remaining. Guard Melody Chavez drilled 3 three-pointers and guard Carlisha Phillips scored six points during the run. Concordia increased its lead to 20 points, 32-12, with 6:36 left to go before halftime. However, with junior forward Sarah Beth Hock (Gilbert, Ariz./Perry H.S.), ACU's leading scorer and rebounder (13.2 ppg and 8.0 rpg) scoring nine points, senior guard Paula Clendaniel (Tucson, Ariz./Cienega H.S./York College, Neb.) hitting 3 three-pointers, and junior guard Jubilee Sutherland (Glennallen, Alaska/Glennallen H.S./Eastern Wyoming CC) making 2 three-pointers, ACU sliced Concordia's lead to 40-33 with 48 seconds left and trailed 42-33 at intermission. Hock totaled 15 points and six rebounds in the first half. 

Concordia rebuilt its lead to 19 points, 59-40, with 13:49 left in the game and held on to a 15- point lead, 69-54, with 7:26 remaining. Again ACU mounted a comeback effort, outscoring Concordia 17-8 in a span of five minutes, and cut the Eagles' advantage to 77-71 with 2:39 left to go. Clendaniel sparked the rally with her fourth three-pointer of the game and a lay-up, and Hock and Sutherland each made three-pointers during the comeback try. Concordia outscored ACU, 8-3, in the last 2:39 to win, 85-74. 

Hock finished the game with 22 points and 11 rebounds, her seventh double-double of the season, and also made 3 three-pointers and had one steal. Clendaniel finished with 16 points, 4 three-pointers, five rebounds, two assists and one steal, and Sutherland totaled 15 points with 3 three-pointers and 10 rebounds, her first double-double of the season and had three assists and one steal. Senior guard Jessica Largo (Gallup, N.M./Rehoboth Christian School) added 11 points, 3 three-pointers in four tries, two rebounds, four assists, one blocked shot and two steals, and sophomore forward Stephanie Brimhall (Gilbert, Ariz./Perry H.S.) contributed four points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals. Freshman forward Cheyenne Huskey (Glendale, Ariz./Mountain Ridge H.S.) added four points and two rebounds. 

Chavez led Concordia with 24 points, 15 in the second half, 6 three-pointers, three rebounds, five assists and three steals, and forward Amanda Fielder totaled 12 points on 5 of 5 shots, and had four rebounds and one blocked shot. Forward Camesha Patton totaled 10 points, five rebounds and one steal, and reserve guard Katie Ogdon added nine points, one three-pointer, six rebounds, three assists and four steals. Phillips finished with eight points and two steals.