The Biola University athletic department took time during halftime of Saturday's men's basketball game against Point Loma Nazarene University to honor the 1981-82 men's basketball team, who became NAIA National Runners-Up with their incredible record of 39-1.

The ceremony featured players from the 1981-82 team, one of the University's most successful since Biola joined the NAIA in the early 1960's and the best in the illustrious history of the Biola men's basketball program.

The dream season started with the Eagles returning all five starters and quickly moving into the top spot in the NAIA National Poll. Biola would maintain that standing throughout the year, winning 35-straight games to earn the No. 1 seed in the tournament.

However, after winning four-straight NAIA Tournament games to make it to the finals, the Eagles fell 51-38 in the championship game to an unranked, unseeded University of South Carolina-Spartenburg team which won it all, shocking the field.

Biola set a national record with 39 wins--the most ever recorded by a college team on any level at that time. The Eagles also were the first NAIA team to hold down the No. 1 national ranking for eight-straight weeks. Also, co-head Coaches Dave Holmquist and Howard Lyon--the only co-head coaches in the country at the time--were named NAIA National Coach of the Year as well.

Biola was led by NAIA First-Team All-American Wade Kirchmeyer, a forward who became Biola’s first-ever first-team NAIA selection, and Mark Sontiski, a second-team All-American.