In contrast, the Eagles (1-0) had an outstanding shooting night to start the season, connecting on 56 percent from the field (35-for-63) including hitting their first eight shots in the game. Meanwhile, HNU shot just 34% from the floor including a frosty 26% from beyond the arc.

Biola was 8-for-8 to start off the game and scored on eight of its first nine possessions to jump out to a 17-9 lead five minutes into the contest. The Hawks (0-1) closed the gap with an 11-6 run stretched over an eight minute period, pulling within three at 23-20 on a Josh Smith jumper. But the Eagles came right back with a 14-4 run, taking a 37-24 lead on a Rocky Hampton bucket. The Eagles headed to the locker room with a 40-28 halftime lead.

The Hawks came out in the second half with a 4 point spurt to cut the lead to 8 at the 18:23 mark. The Eagles would answer, using a seven-point run near the midway point of the half to take a 19-point lead at 57-38 on a Schroeder jumper in the paint. HNU continued to battle but got no closer than 18 points before falling at the buzzer 81-61.

Joshua Smith led the Hawks with 20 points on 7 of 14 shooting, including 4 of 8 from three-point range. Smith added 4 rebounds and 2 steals to go with his solid shooting performance. Sophomore forward David Scott poured in 13 points and grabbed a team high 6 rebounds for HNU. Johnas Street rounded out the trio in double digits with 11 points on the night.

Junior forward Andrew Schroeder scored a team-high 18 points, while All-American Rocky Hampton had 14 points and 8 boards for the Eagles.

Holy Names will make the drive to Fresno, California and face off against Fresno Pacific University Friday October 30th. The Sunbirds are ranked #3 in the NAIA I preseason poll, tip-off is slated for 7:00 PM.