The Biola men's basketball team increased their win streak to four in a row Tuesday night against the La Sierra Eagles. Biola's poised half-court offense and firm defense proved to be too much for La Sierra in the 95-86 win.
Biola opened up Tuesday's night game on fire. Their passes were crisp, their legs were fresh and their defense was stellar. Guards Dakari Archer and Pierre Zook took control of Biola's offense. Their ball movement got everyone involved and ended with easy, makeable shots. Their defense held strong through the whole game. Junior Mike Kurtz is an absolute force to be reckoned with in the paint. Seven-foot Kurtz had seven blocks as well as seven rebounds and 13 points. It’s safe to say, Kurtz was too much to handle for La Sierra.
Biola went into halftime with a 45-34 lead. That was until the second half started and they jumped on La Sierra with a 23 point lead with 12 minutes left to play. However, the Eagles fought back and were not going to let go without a fight. Despite the lead, La Sierra could only close the gap to nine as Biola coasted away with the win.
Andre Murillo led Biola with 21 points and 16 rebounds. Zook was not far behind him with 19 points and four assists. The Eagles shot an above average 54 percent from the floor going for 34-63 shooting. Biola also out-rebounded La Sierra 39 to 25.
AZUSA AMONG TEAMS BEATEN SO FAR
Although they are only eight games into the season, Biola feels very confident about where this season is going. They have beaten a couple very worthy opponents, one being their rival Azusa Pacific. Their chemistry and flow on offense grows every time they are on the court together. Despite the winning record, injuries have played a pretty significant role in the early part of the season. They have been beaten up by knee injuries to Andre Marquez and Conroy Lester as well as a possible concussion for starting point guard Archer. Even with the injuries, Biola keeps moving forward and winning.
So whats next for Biola? The team is carrying a 5-3 record as they play William Jessup University on Friday night in its second of four straight home games.
