IRVINE, Calif. - The Concordia University Irvine men's basketball team gave an earnest effort as they rekindled the rivalry with Biola during Saturday's blackout promotion game. 

With a DJ spinning tunes and the Flight Club student section rocking their new black t-shirts, the Green and Gold came out clicking and pounced quickly on the visiting Eagles in the first few possessions.

Rodrick McCobb hit his first shot from downtown and CUI raced out to a 10-2 lead.  McCobb finished with 11 points and leading scorer Wayne Arnold was at it again, filling it up with 26 points on 9-of-17 shooting.

The Sanders brothers showed off their chemistry as well and made some dazzling plays together.  Kobe Sanders finished with a career-high 10 assists to go with 12 points while his older brother Jalen Sanders scored at will at the rim with 21 points on 8-of-9 shooting.

CUI's offense looked sharp but at the same time Biola's did too. Chris Rossow dropped 31 points and orchestrated a Biola comeback in the first half. The game was neck-and-neck for most of the second half after that early drought for the visitors. 

Both teams shot the ball extremely well and better than 50 percent from the floor.  One key factor in the outcome was that two of CUI's starters fouled out late in the game and the visitors were able to take advantage by getting to the free throw line down the stretch.  Biola escaped with a narrow 90-86 victory.

It was an encouraging effort by CUI but a frustrating result as the team showed it can play with and beat Biola in both meetings this season, only to see Biola steal it at the end just like they did the previous week.

"It was the same story both times. We controlled the whole game and then didn't execute down the stretch and they did," explained CUI head coach Ken Ammann. "We were right there and I was extremely proud of how we competed. We had so many winning plays by so many different guys and a lot of amazing performances. We're on the right track we just can't give up 54 points in the second half. We're too good of a defensive group to allow that to happen."

"We also only had one turnover the entire first half, and then turned it over four or five times later in the second half and that can't happen. Our guards are too good for that and we just have to keep getting better at those little things. It was an extremely hard-fought game by both teams."

Concordia returns to action this coming week with road games at APU and Point Loma.  The Eagles are back at CU Arena on Wednesday, Feb. 23 for a make-up game against Holy Names before playing the Hawks again the following day as part of a PacWest doubleheader.

CLICK HERE for the full CUI men's basketball schedule