LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Thursday was a remarkable day for Biola Basketball as five different Eagles earned All-American honors from the NAIA for their efforts on the court during the 2016-17 season.
 
Three women and two men from the university earned the highest possible athletic award in recognition of their fantastic years. On the women's side DeMoria White, Annie Park and Joclyn Kirton were honored. On the men's side Dakari Archer and Caelan Tiongson earned the recognition.
 
White was named to the All-American second team after being Biola's leading scorer for two consecutive seasons. Park earned her second NAIA All-American honor with her placement on the third team. She earned honorable mention honors in 2014-15.
 
And last but not least, Joclyn Kirton became just the fourth team sport Biola student-athlete to earn All-American honors in two sports. She added a basketball honorable mention to her three All-American selections as a volleyball player with a stellar .597 field goal percentage and 14.0 points-per-game.
 
"It's great news to hear that three women have been recognized for their hard work. They are excellent upperclassmen leadership of this team," said Head Coach Alan Nakamura. "They are wonderful representatives for the Lord, for their families, and for our University. And what makes it more satisfying is that I know they would recognize the role their teammates and team chemistry played in this honor for them."
 
White earned her second team selection by scoring 17.0 points-per-game while shooting .424 from the field. She contributed 94 assists and led the Eagles is scoring in 14 of their 31 games.
 
"Mori is one of the smartest players I've had the opportunity to coach," said Nakamura. "The team really looks to her when the pressure is on because she really comes through.
 
Park had the best season of her career with 14.3 points-per-game and 111 assists. She was also absolutely unconscious during her final game at Chase Gym, scoring a game-high 36 in a 94-87 senior night win over Bethesda while setting a program record for made three pointers in one game with 11.
 
"Annie has also been a cornerstone for our team with the example she has set for her teammates both on and off the court," said Nakamura. "I hope that we are able to continue that example of continued development of basketball skills and commitment to what God has called you to."
 
"As for Joclyn," continued Nakamura. "She would also win the award for most improved player over the last year and a half. She has been a wonderful addition to our team with her ability and quiet integrity."
 
Following a season where his team won 81 percent of its games and finished with a sparkling 26 wins Dr. Dave Holmquist saw two of his seniors be recognized nationally for the efforts.
 
Archer, the team's scoring leader at just over 15 points-per-game, earned NAIA All-American second team honors. It's his second time earning All-American recognition as he landed on the first team last year.
 
In his final season as an Eagle Archer poured in over 480 points, pulled down over 100 rebounds and committed the fewest turnovers of his career in leading the Eagles to their second-straight national tournament appearance.
 
He also reached exactly 1,900 points to finish his career as the second-highest scoring player in program history.
 
Tiongson almost didn't return for this 2016-17 season, but it's a good thing he did. Not only did he play a massive role in the Eagles' ability to make it back to the national tournament, but he was also a scoring threat and strong two-way player to put himself in a spot where he is very deserving of this recognition.
 
The senior from Pomona was second on the squad with 13.2 points-per-game and he led the team with 6.2 rebounds-per-game. He pulled down a team-high 62 offensive rebounds, which illustrates some of the effort that made him a fan favorite over the years.
 
The 369 points he scored this season was a career-best by just about 100 points. He also set a new career high in field goal percentage by shooting 53 percent from the floor. He improved his FG percentage each year over the course of his four-year career.
 
These players will be the final Eagles to earn NAIA All-American status in basketball, because both programs are now officially operating as provisional members of the NCAA Division II and the PacWest Conference.