LA MIRADA --- Biola Women's Basketball opened its 2026-27 season with a 59-42 victory over Azusa Pacific on Monday evening at Chase Gymnasium.
The Eagles' defense set the tone for the season opener, holding the Cougars to just 24.6 percent shooting from the field while controlling the glass with a 56-31 rebounding advantage. Biola also received 28 points from its bench and outscored APU 36-18 in the paint.
"That is our identity and DNA," said Head Coach
Mike Simonson.
"We played super aggressively," stated senior
Laney Grider. "Even when we weren't making our shots, we were getting rebounds and making hustle plays. This team makes it so easy to play with."
Azusa Pacific opened the game with a three-pointer, but Grider quickly answered from beyond the arc to even the score. The teams continued to trade baskets before freshman
Ella Fritts knocked down a three-pointer to give Biola its first lead of the night (6-5).
The Eagles built their advantage to five points behind a Grider layup and a jumper from
Hanne Løkkebø Nybø, but APU battled back to tie the game at 10-10.
Aliyah Bantolina responded with a layup, and Fritts connected on her second three-pointer of the quarter to send Biola into the second frame ahead 15-10.
The second quarter was a defensive battle as both teams struggled to find their offensive rhythm. Biola limited the Cougars to just four points in the period, holding APU to 2-for-14 shooting and forcing four turnovers. The Eagles had their own offensive struggles, shooting 3-for-15 from the field, but managed to outscore the visitors 6-4 to take a 21-14 advantage into halftime.
Biola came out of the break looking to create separation. Bantolina opened the third quarter with a layup, followed by another inside basket from Fritts to extend the Eagles' lead to 11 points (25-14).
The Cougars responded with a 10-3 run to trim Biola's advantage to four (28-24) midway through the quarter. However, the Eagles answered with a 10-0 run of their own to regain control.
Freshman
Sienna Capelli provided a spark off the bench, scoring six points during the stretch, while Grider added four to push Biola's lead to 38-24. A late APU basket brought the score to 38-26 heading into the final frame.
Azusa Pacific opened the fourth quarter with back-to-back layups to cut the deficit to eight (38-30), but Biola remained composed. Capelli answered with a putback basket, and
Alyssa Kubo followed with a layup to keep the Cougars from gaining momentum.
"Azusa Pacific, man, they were scrappy," Simonson said.
Nybø continued the offensive push with a layup and two free throws before Grider knocked down a pair from the charity stripe to extend Biola's advantage to 16 points (48-32). The Eagles maintained control throughout the closing minutes, outscoring APU 21-16 in the fourth quarter to secure the 59-42 victory.
Grider led Biola's offense with 15 points on 6-for-13 shooting while dishing out a team-high five assists. Fritts and Capelli followed with 10 points apiece. Capelli nearly recorded a double-double in her regular-season debut, pulling down nine rebounds, including five on the offensive glass.
Nybø added eight points and nine rebounds, while Kubo contributed seven points, five assists and two steals. Bantolina chipped in six points and seven rebounds.
Biola's work on the boards played a significant role in the victory. The Eagles collected 20 offensive rebounds and converted their opportunities into 14 second-chance points, compared to just two for APU. Biola also recorded 17 fast-break points while limiting the Cougars to five.
"20 offensive rebounds, that's something we've been emphasizing," Simonson said.
With the victory, Biola begins the season 1-0. The Eagles will travel to Irvine for the PacWest-CCAA Crossover Tournament, beginning Friday, Nov. 13 against Cal State San Bernardino at 5:15 p.m. BU will then face Stanislaus State on Saturday, Nov. 14 at 3 p.m.
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