After a dreadful 0-10 start to PacWest play, the Eagles had won four of their last five games, giving them needed momentum as they traveled to Riverside, Calif. to play in the California Baptist University Lancers’ homecoming game. However, the Lancers quickly dispatched the Eagles in one of the most lopsided games of Biola’s season, winning 96-59 in a contest broadcasted locally on Fox Sports Prime Ticket. The Eagles trailed by 30 at halftime and never narrowed their deficit to less than 20 from then on despite a much better second half on offense.

EAGLES START FLAT

Slow starts are nothing new for the Eagles this season, but Cal Baptist took Biola’s early troubles to a new level, starting with a 7-0 run that eventually became a 22-5 lead almost midway through the half. The Eagles did not score their 10th point until there was 9:21 remaining in the first half, and even then, Cal Baptist immediately went on another massive run that saw them lead by as many as 26.

By the time the halftime buzzer sounded, the Eagles had mustered less than 20 points, trailing the Lancers 49-19. Five CBU players posted double-digit scoring in the first half, including center Kalidou Diouf, who nearly matched Biola’s output by himself with 16 points.

TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE

The Eagles played a much better second half, as junior forward Alex Talma provided a much-needed offensive jolt. During a stretch just after halftime with Diouf mostly out of the game, Talma scored 12 of the Eagles’ 14 points. However, Biola’s defense could not get stops on the other end, especially against Diouf, who scored 10 more points for a game-high 26. Talma continued as the main source of the Eagles’ offense, getting all of his team-leading 22 points in the second half, but CBU’s relentless team attack on the other end proved too much for it to matter. Cal Baptist pulled even further ahead late for a final score of 96-59. Seven Lancers scored five or more points in the final 20 minutes, compared to just three—Talma, senior guard Blake Shannon Jr. and junior guard Trevor Treinen—on the Eagles’ side.

Along with his 22 points, Talma also led the Eagles in rebounds with seven. Shannon Jr. contributed 13 points on 4-10 shooting including 2-4 from the three-point line, continuing his recent hot streak from beyond the arc.

The Eagles will return to campus for a four-game homestand to conclude the season, starting with a matchup against Dominican University on Feb. 12 at 7:30 p.m.