Eagles record win following late-game comeback

The Biola men’s basketball team defeated Vanguard University 86-84 in an overtime thriller on Saturday night, Jan. 28. The Eagles came back from being down by 12 points with five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter to force overtime. In the extra period of play, Biola refused to give up and came out with the two-point victory. Senior Davey Hopkins recorded his best game of the season with 14 points and 13 rebounds. Junior Andre Murillo added a double-double of his own with 19 points and 12 rebounds, sinking all nine of his shots. Juniors Chase Adams and Kaimarr Price rounded out Biola’s double digit scorers with 15 and 13 points respectively. This is the second time this season that the Eagles have defeated the Lions. Biola now has a 15-7 record overall and is 5-5 in the Golden State Athletic Conference.

12-0 rally sparks Eagles’ big second half

The Eagles trailed the Lions by double-digits for most of the second half but a 12-0 run in the closing minutes tied the game at 75-75 with 1:35 to play. After several possessions, Vanguard took an 80-78 lead on a three-point play by the Lions’ Chris Pynch. Hopkins hit a layup with 1.6 seconds remaining to tie the game and send it to overtime.

With 1:42 left in the game, Vanguard held a one-point advantage. After the Lions missed a shot, a foul was called on the rebound, giving Hopkins two shots at the free-throw line and a chance to win the game. After draining both shots, Vanguard made one last attempt to win with a runner at the other end. However, the shot was missed and Biola hit one of two final free throws to secure the tight victory.

Final home game with rival APU

Biola’s next game will be against long-time rival Azusa Pacific University on Tuesday at Chase Gymnasium at 7:30 p.m. This will be the last season conference game that the Eagles will host the Cougars.