Men’s basketball remained perfect at home after Monday night’s matchup against University of Saint Katherine, where they topped the Firebirds 86-77. A standout performance from senior guard Marquise Mosley boosted him to a season-high 23 points and four rebounds.
Junior guard Michael Bagatourian backed up Mosley with 15 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Sophomore guard Alex Wright contributed 12 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Junior guard Chris Rossow found all 13 of his points in the first half to help round out the Eagles’ fourth victory of the season.
SLOW START
BU started out slow in the first half, which head coach Dave Holmquist attributed to their inability to practice the day before. Yet, Biola kept the game within their reach by hustling on offense. Mosley grabbed 12 points during the half, three rebounds and a steal.
Meanwhile, Bagatourian assisted both of Rossow’s 3-pointers and shot a 3-pointer of his own. Sophomore guard Alex Wright dunked, snagged a layup and recorded two assists. Junior forward Jesse Elrod added four points from the line and freshman guard Zanen Zeller worked hard defensively, totaling four boards. The Eagles ended the half ahead 43-39.
“When we got down nine or 10 we got real determined and I was impressed by how hard we fought back to win that game,” Holmquist said.
AGGRESSIVE OFFENSE
USK came out of the locker room looking to advance past their four-point deficit with a 27-12 run. The Firebirds kept the game close, advancing over the Eagles, but not out of reach. However, Holmquist made slight adjustments to his team’s defense to halt Saint Katherine’s successful shooting. Digging in on defense with eight blocks allowed for BU to slip away with a more comfortable lead. Mosley racked up 14 second-half points, helping his team shoot over 55 percent from the field.
The Eagles pulled away with Elrod being a powerful force in the paint, rejecting Saint Katherine’s shots with five blocks. Biola’s 16 fast break points helped scoot them to a 86-77 win.
“My teammates just keep telling me to be aggressive… I mean it was a team effort,” Mosley said. “They got me in my spots, but my teammates really encouraged me to push the tempo and that’s what I did.”
The Eagles (4-2) will be back out on the court for their first PacWest Conference game on Thursday, Dec. 5 at 7:30 p.m. in Belmont, California against Notre Dame de Namur University.
