The Bakersfield Blitz scored 17 points off three turnovers and had a late goal-line stand in a 43-41 arenafootball2 victory over the Islanders last night at Blaisdell Arena.

Bakersfield (9-4) has a two-game lead over the second-place Islanders (7-6) with three games to go in the regular season.

The teams play again at Bakersfield during the final week of the season.

"This was big," Bakersfield coach Rick Van Horne said. "This was the championship tonight. We didn't want to have to go down to Game 16 and play for the championship."

Trailing 43-34 with five minutes remaining, the Islanders had a first-and-goal from the 6, but couldn't reach the end zone on four consecutive running plays up the middle.

"Looking at it now, maybe we should have gone outside," Islanders head coach Cal Lee said.

The Islanders got within 43-41 on an 11-yard pass from Withy-Allen to Nian Taylor, but Kenney Williamson recovered Kimo Naehu's onside kick with 30 seconds remaining, and the Blitz were able to run out the clock.

Withy-Allen completed 22 of 35 passes for 335 yards and four touchdowns, but also had three interceptions. Two of the interceptions were off deflections and the other was bobbled by receiver Anthony Arceneaux and picked off by defensive back Kenny Haslip.

"That's a quarterback's worst nightmare, when you get sacked and get interceptions like that," Withy-Allen said. "I got to watch film. Maybe I'm sitting in the wrong place in the pocket; maybe I'm taking too long to get the ball off. Whatever it is, it's still my fault."

Lee didn't reveal his starting quarterback all week, and said it would be a game-time decision between Withy-Allen and Darnell Arceneaux.

Arceneaux started the first 10 games of the season, but he helped out at a football clinic last week in American Samoa, and Withy-Allen guided the Islanders to a 40-37 road victory over the San Diego Riptide.

Arceneaux entered the game in the fourth quarter on the ill-fated drive that was halted by the Blitz's goal-line stand. On the third play of the drive, Arceneaux was hit low on an incomplete pass and helped off the field.

He was diagnosed with a sprained right knee, and will have an MRI tomorrow, according to Lee.

"I thought with Darnell coming in, maybe he could spark something," Lee said. "You never know what one player, especially a quarterback, can do in a case like that. That's why we did it. Nothing against Shawn; Darnell is kind of a big-play guy."

As he limped out of the arena, Arceneaux said: "If I didn't tear it, then I'll play (next week)."

The Islanders threw three interceptions and lost two fumbles overall. They also gave up a field goal in the first quarter after failing to field a kickoff off the end-zone rebound net. All passes, kickoffs and missed field goals off the nets are live balls.

The Islanders had a 351 to 221 advantage in total yards, but were repeatedly foiled by turnovers, or the offense stalled.

"We kind of killed ourselves," said Withy-Allen, who added he and Arceneaux were told before the game both would play.

Taylor caught 11 passes for 183 yards and two touchdowns.

In the first half, neither team led by more than four points, and Bakersfield took a 27-26 lead into halftime.

Bakersfield scored on its first possession of the second half on a 35-yard field goal by Brian Walker.

On the next possession, Withy-Allen completed a pass to Randyn Akiona inside the Blitz 15, but he fumbled and Bakersfield defensive back Nathan Munson recovered the ball and got to midfield.

"We played great defense the whole night," Van Horne said.

Four plays later, Bakersfield's Chad Elliott scored on a 7-yard bootleg to give the Blitz its largest lead of the game at 37-26 with 5:21 left in the third.

Elliott completed 15 of 22 passes for 218 yards.

The Islanders will host the Louisville Fire next weekend.

"Our backs are up against the wall, but we play our best with our backs to the wall," Withy-Allen said.