After winning three games in a row, the women’s basketball team lost to the Chapman University Panthers on Nov 17. Their game against the Panthers was very close until the end, their loss knocking their record down to 3-2.
STAYING ON TOP
The Eagles managed to stay on top of the Panthers for most of the game. Chapman tied the game twice in the first two quarters, but Biola held on to their lead and by halftime they led Chapman 30-28.
“They are very small, but very quick,” said Jessica Shill, freshman forward. “We needed to play good defense and close out on their threes.”
After scoring 16 more points in the third quarter it looked as though the Eagles were going to beat the Panthers. However, the Eagles only scored nine points in the fourth quarter, allowing Chapman to come back and eventually win the game 62-55.
“We didn’t play our best defense, which is okay because we still have a lot to learn,” Shill said. “I thought that we ran on them really well and had a lot of fast breaks during the game. We rebounded fairly well against them.”
NOT SECURING A WIN
Although Biola could not secure the win, two of the Eagles ended the game with double-digit points. In the game, sophomore guard Danielle Kennedy went 7-14 with 16 points in 36 minutes of playtime. Senior forward Taylor Casey played for 29 minutes and was responsible for 11 of the Eagles’ points.
In their first four games the Eagles have scored a majority of their points in the second half. To start off their season the Eagles made 275 points, over half of which were scored in the third and fourth quarters. However, in the game against Chapman, Biola’s offense fell flat later in the game, scoring only 25 points in the second half. This decrease in scoring led to the Panthers overtaking the Eagles in the fourth quarter and eventually winning the game.
NOT DISCOURAGED
Despite the loss, the Eagles are not discouraged and see their game against Chapman as exposing areas where they need to improve. After winning three games in a row, this loss to Chapman helps bring the team back to earth and motivate them to work harder in preparation for their next game.
“We’ve won our past couple of games and I think this was a good loss,” Shill said. “This loss made us learn a lot more.”
Although the game against Chapman ended the Eagles’ winning streak, the Eagles are not in trouble when it comes to the Golden State Athletic Conference. Their GSAC match-ups do not start until early December. Until then, the Eagles are flexible in their remaining pre-conference games.
The Eagles’ next game is at home against the Montana Tech Diggers on Nov. 20 at 5:30 p.m.
