In what could be called the most epic game in years, the Biola Eagles caught up with APU in the last four minutes of Monday night’s game and took them down in one giant swoop.
Biolans dressed in White t-shirts that read “Beat Azusa” crammed the stands to the max, waving their hand-made signs. The cheering escalated until the players had no possible chance of relaying their plays by ear.
Biola had their backs against the wall, needing a win against Azusa – the No. 15 team in the nation – to get into the playoffs. The two rivals squared off on Monday at a sold out Chase Gymnasium. The Azusa fans did their best to blackout the gym with their apparel, but the Biola whiteout proved too bright, and the Eagles won the thriller 51-49.
Biola trailed by as many as 15 points in the second half but refused to lose, going on a furious 18-4 run over the last nine and a half minutes of the game. Junior guard Josh Salo played a huge role, hitting two crucial three-pointers, grabbing two rebounds, and picking up a steal in the game.
With 49 seconds on the clock, sophomore guard Marlon King tied the game with a free throw. On the ensuing possession, Azusa’s Davon Roberts went to the free throw line with a chance to put his team up. However, Roberts missed both free throws, and Salo’s rebound allowed the Eagles to play for the last shot.
After patiently whittling down the clock, senior forward Danny Jones found himself with the ball in the low post. Since Jones was being double teamed, sophomore forward Rocky Hampton dove into the lane from his spot at the top of the key.
Jones hit him in stride, and Hampton hit the go-ahead basket with 1.9 seconds left on the clock and throngs of celebrating Biolans flooded the gym floor but were sent back to the stands for the final seconds of the game.
Jones then stole the Azusa inbound pass to seal the win, and the white mass that was the Biola faithful proceeded to blanket the court to celebrate.
“APU had a chance to be (GSAC) co-champions with Concordia,” said Hampton. “We couldn’t let that happen.”
Hampton played his part, putting in 14 points and 13 rebounds. Jones added 13 points and 8 rebounds of his own.
The game played with breathtaking suspense in the last four minutes, redeeming itself from a scoreboard that just minutes earlier had read 26-41.
“I wasn’t ready to be done,” said Jones, who was honored at halftime for Senior Night. “This is the best feeling I’ve ever had in sports.”
The game was one that Biolans will not soon forget, but just to recall the sweet taste of victory, check out the photo gallery and relive those moments.
