The men’s basketball home season ended anticlimactically with a 66-54 loss to the Vanguard University Lions on Saturday night. A great crowd came out to support the three graduating seniors, forward Mike Kurtz and guards Pierre Zook and Colin Bossio, in their last home game. The seniors were introduced with the announcer providing a brief summary of their time at Biola.
Biola had an excellent first half, making 13 of their 16 shots, including four of their seven three-point attempts. Yet again, Zook and sophomore Dakari Archer were the standouts of the game, as each ended with 21 points in the losing effort. In the first, both made five of their eight shots for 12 points, but Archer made one extra free throw to make him the leading scorer going into halftime with 13 points. Together they accounted for 25 of Biola’s 33 points going into halftime, with Kurtz and sophomore Grant Corsi chipping in four points each. Vanguard shot a little bit better however, and went into halftime with a three point lead.
Biola never took the lead and were only able to tie the score twice, once in each half. The second time came with 15:19 left on the clock, which marked the last time the score would read a deficit less than two. The Eagles did not shoot as well in the second half, only making nine of their 22 shots, lowering their first half percentage of exactly 50 percent to 40.9 percent for the second. The Lions’ offense decreased as well, but still made 13 of 27 shots.
The difference of the game was not outside shooting, but in the paint. Biola was outscored 40-12 in the paint throughout the game, and rarely can that deficit be overcome shooting jumpers. The Eagles were also outscored in points off turnovers 13-8, second chance points 14-5, and fast break points 6-4. The game ended as close as it did due to the Eagles’ three-point shooting, sinking six compared to Vanguard’s two.
Despite the home-court loss to Vanguard, the Eagles still have the postseason to look forward to. As for the seniors, they have left their mark on not only the season and their teammates, but their coach as well.
“All three of them are people you’d want your sons to grow up to be like,” said head coach Dave Holmquist. “They’re great Christian guys, they’re all leaders, and they’re all really close friends. As far as people to coach, I think I’ve been very blessed.”
The Eagles move to 4-10 in Golden State Athletic Conference play and 16-11 overall. Their second-to-last game of the regular season is a road game against The Master’s College on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.
