The men’s and women’s basketball teams both torched the Vulcans at Hawaii Hilo on Wednesday, Jan. 19. The same fire that fueled the men’s 12-6 record drove them to beat Hawaii Hilo 61-54. The women’s team, who has been looking for some momentum on the season, crushed their opponent 61-44, a victory which propelled the team’s record to a respectable 9-9. 

DEFENSE STEPS UP

In both games, it was the defense which ensured dominant wins. The men held their opponents to just 51 points, while the women held the Vulcans to 41 points. What made this defensive effort so impressive was that Hawaii’s men’s team boasts the second-best offense in the PacWest this season. The Vulcans were kept to a mere 32 percent shooting from the field, which is significantly below their average of 50 percent. 

THE 61 POINT MIRROR

It was already a noteworthy alignment of both programs playing the same opponent, but to line the two squads up even more both put up the same exact total of points in their victories. Redshirt senior guard Alex Wright led the way for the men’s team, putting up 17 points on an incredibly efficient 8-15 night. Wright also collected four rebounds and one steal to go along with his impressive performance.

Redshirt junior forward Natasa Radovic led the women’s team in scoring. She had an efficient night shooting 5-6, including 3-4 in three-pointers to add up to a 15-point performance. Redshirt sophomore guard Laila Walker brilliantly facilitated the offense as she dished out five assists. Walker also had a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. 

Up next, Biola looks to build off of this momentum as both teams take on Azusa Pacific University on Wednesday, Jan. 25. Stats from the match can be found on the Biola Athletics website.