The Biola Eagles men’s basketball team emerged from tonight’s overtime game against the Fresno Pacific University Sunbirds victorious with a final score of 73-69. Sophomore guard Dakari Archer led all scorers with 26 points, while freshman forward Steve Herve contributed a solid 13 points and 13 rebounds.
The game started out at a fast pace, both teams pushing the ball hard, testing out the other team’s early defense. FPU scored the first two baskets, but it was not long before Biola got on the board by a basket from senior forward Mike Kurtz. The game went back and forth for the entirety of the first half, with five ties and five lead changes. Biola went into halftime with the lead, 31-24.
FPU came out in the second half trying to trap Archer, who had been commanding the offense for much of the night. It worked for a while, but Biola took a timeout, and FPU stopped their trapping technique. Archer took advantage of that and went on to score 17 points in the second half. But FPU kept it close the entire game, which culminated in a 64-64 tie with 3.1 seconds on the clock and Biola’s possession of the ball. Senior guard Pierre Zook attempted a buzzer-beating three, but missed it, sending the game into overtime.
Overtime would prove to be a thriller, as both teams fought hard to win. With one minute left on the clock, the score was tied at 69, and Biola had the ball. By far the most energetic moment of the game came when Steve Herve dunked off of a missed layup by Archer. This put Biola in the lead, where it would stay for the remainder of the game. FPU committed a turnover, which would prove to be the nail in the coffin. Kurtz hit two free throws to bring the score to 73-69, which would be the final score.
Coach Dave Holmquist had positive view of the game.
“Well, I think we stayed with it,” said Holmquist. “We kept our focus through the whole game, which was nice. I mean, we had ups and downs – we had some lulls – but we kept our focus throughout the game and into the overtime.”
The starting lineup contained two freshmen, one sophomore and two seniors, numbers which bely the youth of the squad. Herve and forward Josh Throns are the two freshman starters, Archer is the sole sophomore starter, and Kurtz and Zook represent the seniors in the starting lineup. They only have five upperclassmen on the team, with the remaining 11 composed of nine freshmen and two sophomores.
Holmquist, who is entering his 35th season as head coach, likes what he sees in the young talent and the hope for the future it gives.
“I’m excited we’re starting two freshmen and a sophomore, so that’s great for our future,” said Holmquist. “Plus the guys off the bench are young too, so I think we’re a team that can keep getting better.”
The Eagles’ next game is at La Sierra University next Thursday, Nov. 6 at 7:30 pm.
