Men’s basketball tallied their second win at home against Pomona-Pitzer College on Thursday night. The Eagles led Pomona-Pitzer for a majority of the game, coming out on top 66-62. Junior guard Chris Rossow led the team with 15 points and five assists. 

The Eagles held a good lead throughout the first half, 29-21. Rossow and sophomore forward Alex Wright both added points and a pair of steals early on. Sophomore forward Solomon Ruddell was dominant in the paint with three rebounds at the end of the half. Assisted by junior forward Jesse Elrod, Rossow shot the only 3-pointer of the game for Biola with a minute left. Wright stole the ball and Rossow assisted freshman guard Zanen Zeller for the last layup of the half. 

“It just gives us some momentum and it was a close game and so it’s really nice to finish strong and win a close game like that,” said head coach Dave Holmquist. “They’re a very good team, they’re a division three team but they were 31-2 last year.”

DIVERSE ATTACK

Biola scored five free throws at the start of the second half, setting the tone for a physical end to the game. The Eagles continued with quick transitions, scoring six points on fast breaks from junior guard Michael Bagatourian, senior guard Marquis Mosley and Wright. The last 15 points of the game came from five different Eagles, showcasing the diversity of Biola’s attack and securing their second win of the season 66-62. 

“This is big time. We haven’t had too good of a preseason but I felt like everyone was clicking today, offense, defense,” Wright said. “We really started playing with each other, bettering each other and showing what we can do.” 

Rossow ended the game on top with 15 points. Bagatourian followed close behind with 13, while Wright and Elrod each added 10. Defensively, Wright had a team high 7 rebounds, four assists and 5 steals. 

The Eagles (2-2) will be back out at Chase Gymnasium on Saturday at 7:30 against University of Maine Fort Kent.