BOX SCORE
LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Danny Jones scored 14 points including sinking a clutch free-throw with seven seconds left to lead Biola to a 50-48 win over NCAA Division II Wayne State (Neb.) in a non-conference game on Monday night at Chase Gymnasium.
The Eagles head into the Christmas Break with a 7-4 overall record having won three of the last four games while the Wildcats fall to 6-5 with their third-straight loss.
Jones led a trio of Biola players in double-digits, scoring 14 points and adding eight rebounds and two blocks. Sophomore forward Rocky Hampton added 13 points, six rebounds and three blocks while guard Marlon King also contributed 13 points and had seven rebounds and four steals.
Wayne State got off to a quick start in the game, jumping out to a quick 11-6 lead eight minutes into the contest. Biola took back the lead with a 9-0 run over the next five minutes and extended it to as many as eight points at 24-16 with 2:15 remaining in the half. The Wildcats quickly pulled to within two points and headed to halftime down 25-22.
In the second, the two teams battled back and forth with the Eagles holding a slight lead throughout. A Jones tip-in gave Biola a 45-41 edge with 3:51 remaining, but Wayne State again pulled within one on a three-pointer by Bryce Caldwell with 1:37 to go. After the two teams exchanged baskets over the next minute, King hit a driving layup with 23 seconds left to put the Eagles up 49-46.
On the Wilcats' next possession, Caldwell missed an off-balance three-pointer with 10 seconds on the clock. Jones pulled down the rebound and was fouled, then sank the first of the one-and-one bonus attempts with seven ticks remaining to put Biola up 50-46. After missing the second shot, Wayne State's last-second attempt by Jamar Diggs fell short. Matt Rathje followed with a tip-in to close the score to 50-48 with under a second to go, but the Eagles were able to inbound the ball and run out the clock.
Caldwell led the Wildcats with 15 points and added two assists in 31 minutes. Diggs was the only other Wayne State player in double-digits, recording 11 points and six rebounds. Jonathon Thomas came off the bench to score nine points and had 13 rebounds, including seven offensive boards for the Wildcats.
Neither team shot particularly well on the night, hitting just 36 percent from the field as both teams played strong defense. The Eagles managed to force 15 turnovers and converted them into 14 points while turning the ball over just nine times.
Biola returns to the court after the Christmas Holiday, traveling to the Bay area for the Bethany University Holiday Classic on December 27 and 28. The Eagles will face Evangel College (Mo.) on Thursday and take on host Bethany on Friday.
