LA MIRADA, Calif. — Biola Men's Basketball made the most of its senior night on Saturday, working its way past visiting Azusa Pacific to close the final chapter of the Cornerstone Cup rivalry with an 80-67 home victory.
The Eagles took time before the game to honor the contributions of Garrison Sherman, Tyus Parrish-Tillman and Cameron Brown, who were playing their final home game inside of Chase Gymnasium.
That trio played a big role in the Biola victory, combining for 45 points and 23 rebounds. Sherman put up an economical effort, making five of his eight shot attempts from the floor to book his points in just 19 minutes.
Brown finished the game as the Eagles' leading scorer with 22 points and had eight rebounds. His physicality stood out from the opening whistle as he led the charge for the BU boys.
Despite missing several key contributors, the visitors actually started hot out of the gate, taking a 10-2 lead in the first two minutes. Biola's experienced lineup never flinched, though, erasing that lead with a 13-2 run of its own. Nine of those 13 points came from Brown.
APU hung close with the Eagles through most of the first half, even leading as late as with as little as seven minutes and 38 seconds to halftime. Biola closed the half on fire to build a big lead. The team scored 24 points in seven minutes to turn a 1-point deficit into an 11-point halftime lead.
Biola only had 29 points in the second half, but that proved to be more than enough to set aside the Cougars who never could find traction, shooting just 35 percent in the game. Parrish-Tillman (13pts/12rbs) and Chris Harris (15pts/13rbs) both finished with double-doubles for Biola in the win. Tyus also contributed six assists and his customary two blocks in another patented, well-rounded performance.
Charlie Gehler was the final 10+ point scorer, chipping in 12 points with the help of three made three-pointers.
The win brings to a close the season for the Eagles whose record sits at 15-13 and 11-11 in PacWest Conference play.
See below for coach Holmquist's thoughts on his seniors.
Garrison Sherman - Garrison has been with us for four years and been a joy to coach. He has a great spirit and brings a strong work ethic to every practice and game. He's a wonderful teammate who places the success of the team above all else. He is also a very fine player who rebounds and defends extremely well. during the past two years he has made so many timely plays, both on offense and defense, that have helped us win games.
Cameron Brown - Cameron has been a tremendous player for us this year. He has led the team in scoring, been a strong rebounder, and an excellent defensive player. He has also been an effective leader and great teammate. Had cameron not been here this year we would not have won as many games. He has made a tremendous difference in so many ways and i am very thankful to have coached a player with so much talent and spirit.
Tyus Parrish-Tillman - Tyus has been at Biola for four years and made significant contributions to our team. His scoring, shot blocking, rebounding, and passing have made the difference in many games. It's rare to have a player who has such a variety of skills. He is one of the best players in the conference and someone who will be greatly missed. Tyus has also been one of our captains and proven to be an excellent teammate.
