Box Score LA MIRADA, Calif. --- For the second year in a row Biola Men's Basketball is 8-0 to start the season. This time the Eagles reached that peak by earning an 82-58 runaway win over the visiting Embry-Riddle Eagles in a pre-Thanksgiving home game.
 
It was the first time Biola was back on the hard wood in Chase Gymnasium since all the way back on Nov. 2 when it earned a win over Bethesda. It took the team a few minutes to warm up to being back at home as it was not until the second half that the team truly broke away.
 
Biola had a 10-point lead halftime (35-25), but both teams were struggling to score and BU was really struggling to pull down rebounds. Embry-Riddle held a one-rebound advantage over the home squad as Biola's inside players were figuring out how to best attack the boards without the presence of Caelan Tiongson, who missed tonight's game.
 
"Without Caelan we had to make some adjustments and got off to a bit of a slow start," said Head Coach Dr. Dave Holmquist. "I thought we made some much better plays in the second half and the overall intensity was much better."
 
Tiongson was out, but Steve Herve was in. Herve, the junior big man from Cameroon, was making his first appearance of the 2016-17 season after missing games 1-7 while rehabbing a lingering injury.
 
He played five minutes in the first half but was not all that effective as he was just warming up to the pace of play. It was in the second half that he, and many of his teammates, began to make their presence known. Herve played nine second-half minutes and turned it into five points, five rebounds and two steals. His being back will be a big lift to the Eagles' depth inside, which is already very strong.
 
His elevated play, along with that of Jeff Gonzalez and Alex Talma, helped the Eagles have a much more productive second 20 minutes. The team had more chances to score as it created more possessions for itself by bringing down 18 rebounds compared to Embry-Riddle's eight.
 
It was not just the rebounding that was much improved, but also the number of points the team was able to cash in. Both teams scored more in the final 20, but it was the home Eagles' 47 second-half points that led them to a nearly 30-point win.
 
"It was a good pre-Thanksgiving game. Everyone got to play and I am pleased with where we are right now," said Holmquist.
 
Dakari Archer led the way with another astonishing night. He was perfect from the floor (8-of-8) and was doing most of it from distance (5-of-5 from three-point range). He ended the night with 23 points, two rebounds, three assists and two steals and didn't turn the ball over once in 29 minutes on the floor.
 
"Dakari has been really good for four years. He brings scoring, penetration, rebounding, and he brings great humility," said Holmquist. "His teammates love him. He's a wonderful guy. I hate to think of not having him next year. It's been a great four years with Dakari in all respects."
 
Archer was joined in double-digits by Talma (15) and Gonzalez (14). Both of those players scored double-digits in the second half alone. All but two of Talma's came in the final 20 and all but four of Gonzalez'.
 
As a team Biola shot 57 percent and made 74 percent of their free throws. The free throw line hurt Embry-Riddle, which made just 43 percent of its 14 shots from the stripe.
 
Biola improves to 8-0 with the win. Embry-Riddle falls to 2-6 in the loss. Biola will take some time off for Thanksgiving, but then gets right back at it on Dec. 2 against Southern Oregon at the Hope International Classic in Fullerton.