SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - Ranked number six in the NAIA, Westmont College (23-4, 11-1 GSAC), the first-place team in the Golden State Athletics Conference, led by 20 points late in the contest and defeated Arizona Christian University (17-7, 7-5 GSAC), ranked number 25 in the NAIA National Top 25 Coaches' poll and number 10 in the National Christian College Athletics Association (NCCAA) National Top 10, 86-72, in GSAC men's basketball action in Murchison Gymnasium in Santa Barbara, Saturday, February 16. 

Coached by Jeff Rutter, ACU plays a 7:30 p.m. GSAC game against Biola University (15-13, 5- 7 GSAC), Tuesday, Feb. 19, in Fultz Memorial Gym in Phoenix. The ACU women's basketball team plays the 5:30 game of Tuesday's GSAC doubleheader against Biola. 

ACU falls into third place in the GSAC race with number 21-ranked Hope International University (23-5, 8-4 GSAC) moving into sole possession of second place with a 71-62 win at Vanguard University (16-11, 5-7 GSAC) on Saturday. Vanguard is in a three-way tie for fourth place in the GSAC with Biola and defending NAIA Division I national champion, Concordia University (16-10, 5-7 GSAC), which lost 80-70 at Biola on Saturday. Seventh-place San Diego Christian College (7-14, 4-8 GSAC) defeated eighth-place The Master's College (14-13, 3-9 TSAC), 85-75, in El Cajon. 

Westmont put together a 12-2 run in a span of 4 minutes, 24 seconds and took its biggest lead of the first half, 23-10, with 10:21 left in the first half. ACU sliced the margin to 30-24, with 6:21 remaining but went scoreless for the next three minutes. Fortunately for the Firestorm, Westmont scored just three points in that span. Junior guard Charles King (Houston, Tex./Stephen F. Austin H.S./Phoenix College) canned two consecutive three-pointers in a span of 35 seconds and junior forward Jordan Block (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Claremont H.S./Pasadena City College) scored a lay-up with 2:31 left, cutting ACU's deficit to 33-32. 

However, Westmont caught fire and scored seven consecutive points, including three-pointers by guard Preston Branson and forward Christopher Miller, and led 40-32 with 39 seconds left before the halftime break. ACU's junior guard Mason Jones (Huntington Beach, Calif./Ocean View H.S./Eastern Oregon Univ.) hit a jumper with seven seconds left, making the halftime score, 40-34. Block and junior guard Talib Uqdah (Detroit, Mich./Westview H.S. (Avondale, Ariz.)/Chandler-Gilbert CC) scored 10 points each in the first 20 minutes, and Branson totaled 17 points with 3 three-pointers and Miller scored 12 points with 3 three-pointers for Westmont. 

Westmont made 7 three-pointers and committed six turnovers, and ACU made four and committed three turnovers in the first half. Westmont out-rebounded ACU, 22-15, and grabbed 10 offensive rebounds and made seven of its 10 free throws, while ACU went 2-for-2. 

After ACU cut the Warriors' lead to 44-40 on Block's lay-up with 18:09 left, Westmont rebuilt its lead to 12 points, 53-41, with 14:12 left in the second half. ACU drew no closer than six points, 58-52, with 9:43 left, and from that point in the game, Westmont put together a 24-10 run and reached its biggest lead of the game, 82-62, on Branson's three-point play with 2:16 left in the game. A pair of three-point field goals in the last 54 seconds by freshman forward Jackson Helms (Murrieta, Calif./Murrieta Valley H.S.), his first two treys of the season, cut the final margin to 14 points, 86-72. Westmont made 15 of its 23 second-half field goals (.652). 

Uqdah led ACU with 18 points, 3 three-pointers, three rebounds, two assists and two steals, and now averages 18.2 points per game with 20 three-pointers in five games played. Block, ACU's leading scorer and rebounder this season (15.5 ppg and 6.7 rpg), finished with 15 points, 7 rebounds, one blocked shot and three steals, and King, who averages 14.6 points and 3.6 rebounds, accounted for 13 points, 2 three-pointers, five rebounds and three assists. Helms added 11 points, 2 three-pointers, and eight rebounds, and senior guard A.J. Koch (Tucson, Ariz./Flowing Wells H.S.) totaled six points with one three-pointer. 

Branson led Westmont with 26 points, 3 three-pointers, five rebounds and five assists, and Miller finished with 15 points, 3 three-pointers and eight rebounds. Guard Niko Brooks added 10 points, 2 three-pointers, five rebounds and three assists, and guard Jordan Sachs totaled nine points, one three-pointer, seven rebounds and three assists. Off the bench, guard Brendan Hill contributed nine points, seven in the second half, and made all three of his shots.