The women’s basketball team tipped-off the season with a new head coach and a roster containing only two returning upperclassmen that were not redshirting this season. Although they started off the season with a 30-point to loss to Bethesda College, the new team was able to regroup and win their next game against California Maritime Academy.
A Good Experience
“It’s [the transition has] been good,” said Taylor Casey, senior forward. “It’s been different, having a different coach and a different style to play a little bit. But it’s been a good experience and the new freshmen that are coming in, they’re awesome and we all are such a big family on the team.”
Sophomore guard DeMoria White kicked off the 2015 season against Bethesda by getting a steal for the Eagles in the first defensive possession of the season. White finished off the half strong, scoring six points and grabbing two rebounds while dishing out two assists, but it was not enough as the Eagles entered the second half down 20-32.
Bethesda ran away with the lead in the second half, outscoring the Eagles 31-42. Biola lost their season opener by a score of 62-93.
White led the Eagles with 21 points, nine assists and five rebounds, followed by sophomore guard Danielle Kennedy who scored 12 points accompanied by a pair of assists and a single block and rebound.
Turning Around
Biola was able to turn their performance around entering the game against Cal Maritime. The Keelhaulers were able to jump out to an early 10-3 lead with three minutes left in the first quarter. The Eagles were able to go on a 7-0 run to close out the quarter resulting in a 10-10 tie entering the second quarter. Biola found their stroke and ran up a 24-16 win to enter the half.
The Eagles ran the floor for the entirety of the second half, outscoring the Keelhaulers 42-19. Senior guard Aubree Mittel led Biola in the second half by scoring nine points, securing four rebounds, passing for two assists and even came up with a steal on the defensive end in only 15 minutes.
“I think honestly [the secret to winning was] just keeping our heads up and just knowing that we have the talent and that we didn’t play to our potential our first game,” Mittel said. “Just working harder in practice on the little things that we did wrong to improve on for the next game and coming back with confidence and knowing what we can do.”
Back to Back Games
Biola now holds a season record of 1-1 and prepares for back-to-back games against La Sierra University next week. The first game is at home on Nov. 7, followed by game in Riverside, Calif. on Nov. 10. The Golden Eagles lost to San Diego Christian College 51-63 in their only game of the season.
