Senior Davey Hopkins dunks against APU for one of the most memorable moments of the night. Biola beat APU on Jan. 31 with a final score of 65-58. | Tyler Otte/THE CHIMES

The historic basketball rivalry between Biola University and Azusa Pacific University came to a close on Jan. 31 with the Eagles emerging with a 65-58 victory. Junior Chase Adams led Biola with 17 points, junior Given Kalipinde added 16 and senior Davey Hopkins contributed 13.

Azusa starts game strong

The game began with Azusa taking a 4-0 lead. Biola could not seem to sink a basket until senior Andre Murillo finally broke the ice three minutes into the game with a layup inside the key. It was his only basket of the contest due to the Cougars’ airtight double-team defense on him. Azusa led for the entire first half, but Biola refused to give up. The Eagles slowly cut into the lead and the half ended with the Cougars leading 24-22.

Eagles fight back after halftime

Biola burst out of the halftime break energized, especially on the defensive end. The Eagles started the period with a steal from Hopkins and a fast-break layup by Kalipinde who followed the play up by blocking a failed Azusa shot attempt on the very next possession. The Eagles tied the score at 26-26 when freshman Dakota Anderson drained a shot at the top of the key. Two minutes later, Biola finally took its first lead of the game on a shot by junior Kaimarr Price, making the score 30-28. Azusa answered with a 3-pointer by senior Anthony Johnson, but Biola regained the lead after Adams quickly made a 3-pointer of his own. Biola held onto the lead for the rest of the game, although Azusa kept the score close.

When the final buzzer sounded, Chase Gymnasium erupted with cheers as fans flooded the basketball court for a poetic ending to a long-lived tradition of Biola vs. Azusa basketball. The Eagles are now 16-7 overall and have a 6-5 record in the Golden State Athletic Conference while the Cougars are 18-5 and 7-4 in conference play.