LA MIRADA, Calif. --- With the Fall semester and Christmas break behind them, Biola Women's Basketball is primed to make a big impact in the PacWest standings as the Eagles charge into the New Year. Head Coach Alan Nakamura's group starts January in third place in the conference with a 4-1 PacWest record and really only needs a single resolution: sustain the determined will to win and intensity on both ends of the floor that have brought them this far. 

The Eagles are coming off a hard-fought victory in their last game 12 days ago, defeating Fresno Pacific 77-73 in a game that went to the wire. Biola played air-tight defense in the first half to create a much needed cushion once the Sunbirds closed the gap in the second half. Nakamura's group held Fresno Pacific to just seven field goals in the first half and zero makes from three while jumping out to a 12-point lead. 

Results like that on defense are always going to give a team a good chance to win. But they have also become a trend for the Eagles over recent weeks and have led Biola to start January with the best scoring defense in the conference, allowing a PacWest-best 57.1 points per game while holding opponents to a 0.346 field goal percentage (three thousandths off the best mark in the conference). Biola Women's Basketball also leads the PacWest in three-point percentage (0.354), steals (11.45) and turnover margin (+4) as the teams resume conference play. And the Eagles have had at least three women score in double figures for four-straight games. 

Things are definitely rolling for Biola, and there's no sign of stopping. 

MULTIMEDIA: Live video and live stats will be provided free of charge for all Biola home contests. See links and cost for road contests in the previews below.

TICKETS: Biola home events are always free to Biola students, staff, faculty and alumni. Children 12 and under are also always free. General admission is $6 and discounted tickets for opposing school students, guests under 18 and seniors are $4. See ticketing information for road contests below each preview below.

THIS WEEK: at Hawaii Pacific (9-1, 4-0 PacWest) - Thursday Jan. 2 at 6:30 p.m. PT; at Chaminade (2-8, 2-3 PacWest) - Saturday Jan. 4 at 3 p.m. PT; at Hawaii HIlo (1-7, 0-4 PacWest) - Monday Jan. 6 at 7 p.m. PT

MULTIMEDIA: Live video and live statistics will be available for all games. See the links below for the direct link for each game. Biola offers free live video of all home events at portal.stretchinternet.com/biola.

BIOLA (8-3, 4-1 PacWest) AT No. 10 HAWAII PACIFIC (9-1, 4-0 PacWest): Thursday Jan. 2 at 6:30 p.m. PT \\ Live Stats \\ Live Video ($7.95)
The Sharks are currently the consensus best team in the conference with Azusa Pacific losing three of its last four conference games. Hawaii Pacific is currently ranked No. 10 by D2SIDA with its 9-1 record, unblemished conference mark and five women who average 9.9 points per game or more. The Sharks lead the PacWest in scoring, field goal percentage and assists after the first two months of the season and have won by an average of 21.8 points over their last five games. 

But one of the more interesting things headed into this matchup is Hawaii Pacific's most recent game, a 71-58 victory over Hope International on December 20. Biola's former NAIA-peer outscored the Sharks in the second half of the exhibition game while earning 21 free-throw attempts against HPU. That may give Biola an inkling about where the Sharks may be vulnerable since the Eagles beat that same Royals team by 18 points on November 23. 

BIOLA (8-3, 4-1) AT CHAMINADE (2-8, 2-3 PacWest): Saturday Jan. 4 at 3 p.m. PT \\ Live Stats \\ Live Video ($9.00)
Chaminade runs its offense through senior guard Destiny Castro, who ranks third in the PacWest with 17.2 points per game and who has taken over 25 percent of her team's shots this year. Castro starts the New Year having scored 16 points or more in her last six games and has averaged 22.6 points per game against PacWest opponents. Four other Silverswords are averaging six points or more during PacWest play, but Chaminade has needed at least two of those women to reach double figures to put itself in a position to win (which the 'Swords did against Academy of Art and Holy Names). So the key for the Eagles won't be to stop Castro per se, but to cut off Chaminade's other scoring options so even a big day from Castro won't hurt them. 

Biola Women's Basketball is well-versed in that approach, as the Eagles won both matchups against the 'Swords last year even while Castro averaged over 20 points in those meetings. Jazz Benn and Tatum Brimley both scored in double figures during each win against Chaminade last year and both are obvious candidates to repeat that performance on Saturday. Benn and Danita Estorga figure to have their way around the key against a guard-heavy Silverswords roster. And Brimley has scored in double digits in four-straight games, including a 21-point effort in Biola's last win, headed into this week. 
 
BIOLA (8-3, 4-1) AT HAWAII HILO (1-7, 0-4 PacWest): Monday Jan. 6 at 7 p.m. PT \\ Live Stats \\ Live Video ($7.95) 
This will be the Eagles' second look at the Vulcans this season and they will look to repeat the decisive win they delivered in Chase Gym on December 10. Biola held the Vulcans under 10 points in three quarters during the win and set a new NCAA-Era record by limiting Hawaii Hilo to just 34 points while forcing 19 turnovers, multiple shot-clock violations and a 10-second backcourt violation. 

The Vulcans have played games against Point Loma and Alaska Anchorage since then with only marginal improvement. Star post Allie Navarette has returned to form by averaging 15 points in those two contests with 19 totally rebounds. But she's also gotten into foul trouble against the post players on those teams. There's been one supporting performer for Navarette in each game: Mandi Kawaha posted a double-double (11 points, 11 rebounds) in the loss to Point Loma and Kim Scmelz contributed 11 points off the bench against Alaska Anchorage. 

Biola will be looking for its first win at Hilo on the Monday conclusion to the road trip. The aforementioned Benn and Brimley combined for 42 points in the Eagles' last game at Afook-Chinen Civic Auditorium. Brimley's 22 points in that loss was a career-high.