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The Official Athletic Site of the Biola University Eagles

Scoreboard

Huddle on the court
Charlie Bailey
77
Winner Biola BIO 22-6,16-4 PacWest
72
Azusa Pacific APU 12-15,7-12 PacWest
Winner
Biola BIO
22-6,16-4 PacWest
77
Final
72
Azusa Pacific APU
12-15,7-12 PacWest
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Biola BIO 35 42 77
Azusa Pacific APU 33 39 72

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Ethan McGarvey, Sports Information Director

A Lot to Celebrate, More to Accomplish

It was a big night for Biola Men’s Basketball, as the Eagles beat Azusa, reached an individual milestone, and capped off an incredible regular season.

AZUSA, Calif. --- The Cornerstone Cup did not disappoint with an epic battle in Azusa on Thursday night. The game lived on a tightrope but the Eagles reigned supreme over Azusa Pacific, once again. A 77-72 victory for Biola rounded out the regular season with the team's 11th-straight win.

The conclusion of the 2024-25 regular season was filled with highlights, as Biola defeated its rival APU for the fourth time in a row. A 22-6 overall record marked the team's best finish since joining the NCAA DII and the PacWest conference. The impressive season put the Eagles in second place in the conference standings, leaving plenty of work to do in the upcoming postseason. 

On the court on Thursday, the starting five carried the load in the first half scoring all 35 points. Casey Cappo and Davian Brown got things going with 11 and 10 points, respectively. Cappo reached a big milestone with his first bucket of the game, hitting point number 1,000 for his career at Biola.

Besides Azusa Pacific scoring the first bucket of the game, the Eagles did not trail in the opening 20 minutes. The Biola squad opened up an eight-point lead early and returned to that mark two more times. 

APU never let the Eagles out of sight, holding Biola scoreless for the final three minutes of the first half. A 35-33 margin in favor of Biola spelled the typically tense rivalry in the cornerstone cup.

The second half commenced and so did the cornerstone cup chaos. 14 lead changes and eight ties highlighted a roller coaster final 20 minutes.

For 18 minutes, the biggest lead for either team was just four points as the pendulum swung back and forth. 

The physicality and intensity rose quickly, as the foul count soared. Just over 10 minutes into the half, the Eagles were already in the bonus, shooting 1 and 1 at the line. In the second half, Biola sank 17 free throws on 23 attempts.

The big bucket for the Eagles came from Daniel Esparza with five minutes and change on the clock. Biola went 1-8 from beyond the arc in the second half, but the lone triple from Esparza gave the team the lead that would stick through the final buzzer. 

The Esparza long ball pushed BU ahead, 68-65. The next possession saw APU cut the lead to one but then the defense for Biola stepped up. The next four minutes went by without another point for the Cougars. The 68-67 lead for BU ballooned to a 74-67 advantage with less than 60 seconds on the clock. APU could not bring it within one possession again and Biola walked away with a big road win.

Davian Brown was key for Biola, offering an impressive double-double. The graduate guard led all players in points, rebounds, and assists with 22 points, 11 boards, and five helpers. Brown also did well to secure the win at the charity stripe, going a perfect six-for-six at the line.

Esparza also reached 20 points, hitting seven shots on 16 attempts. The senior caught fire in the clutch, netting 14 points in the second half.

It was a team effort on the glass, as all eight Eagles who touched the court on Thursday each grabbed at least one rebound.

Biola will now turn its focus toward the 2025 PacWest Tournament set to begin on March 7 for the second-seeded Eagles. The tournament will be hosted by Dominican in San Rafael, California.
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