LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Winning makes everything better. The Eagles had a gigantic weight lifted off their shoulders on Saturday night following a 73-56 victory over The Master's College.
 
"It was a good team win when we really needed it," said Head Coach Dr. Dave Holmquist. "I'm hoping we can carry some momentum from this into next Thursday's game."
 
While Biola was five, now six, games over .500 on the season, it certainly did not feel like it, as entering play tonight the Eagles had lost five straight games and sat at just 1-6 in Golden State Athletic Conference play.
 
The good news was that the Mustangs came into play boasting the identical 1-6 conference record.
 
The effort revolved around Biola's rock-steady defense and its ability to shut down the Mustangs' show-stopping NCAA DI transfer, Russell Byrd. The Eagles' defenders did just that, allowing Byrd to make just three shots from the field all night.
 
"I think the guys that guarded Byrd, Grant, Caelan and Josh, did a good job. They made him work for his points all night long. They worked hard to slow him down," said Holmquist.
 
The Eagles' defenders forced 10 turnovers, an average amount, but scored a very impressive 15 points off those takeaways, which dwarfed the four points off turnovers that The Master's College was able to post.
 
Biola also labored on the boards, earning a huge rebounding advantage, 40-27, which helped them use extra possessions to build a big lead early on. The Eagles roped in five rebounds in the first five minutes, while the Mustangs could not make a basket, to build a 10-0 lead.
 
That lead held steady throughout the first half of play, as the Eagles led 41-27 at the half, and then outscored TMC 32-29 in a tighter second half to earn the victory while leading throughout.
 
Mike Kurtz was the Eagles' go-to player on the offensive end, leading the team with 20 points. The big man now has 1,006 points in his Biola career, passing the 1,000 mark with a layup late in the second half. He would end with another double-double, leading the team with 12 rebounds.
 
Dakari Archer joined Pierre Zook as a presence beyond the arc in this one. Archer knocked down three triples, his second-most in a game this season, to end with 15 points. Zook was 5-of-10 from range and finished with 17 total points as the trio combined for all but 21 of Biola's 73 points. The Eagles had a great game from three-point land, making 11 three-point shots against an undersized, less athletic Mustangs defense.
 
Proof of that lack of athleticism was that Archer, playing the point guard spot, ended the game with the third-most rebounds of anyone on the court, seven, a new season-high.
 
The Eagles ended up shooting 46.6 percent from the floor and 50 percent from three-point range. The Master's College shooters were just 35 percent from distance, making this the first game since a Dec. 31 win over Pacific Union that Biola outshot its opponent from beyond the arc.
 
"I thought we were very smart tonight with our shot selection and ball movement," said Holmquist. "We were patient, much more patient than we've been."
 
That patience paid off, as the Eagles improved to 14-8 (2-6 GSAC) and dropped the Mustangs to 6-12 (1-7 GSAC) to move into sole possession of seventh place. The Eagles are one game back of sixth place, William Jessup, who they host at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday night.