The Fresno Pacific men's and women's basketball teams open up their home schedule tonight against Northwest Christian with the women's game beginning at 5 pm and the men's game scheduled to start at 7.

Women's Basketball: FPU (0-0) vs. Northwest Christian (1-1), 5 pm
Live Stats

Tonight's game is the season opener for FPU and the official coaching debut of head coach Erin Scholz. The Sunbirds' opponent, Northwest Christian, is coming off a victory in a nailbiter against Simpson College last night. The Beacons held on for a 61-60 victory, hitting a free throw with no time left on the clock to win.

NWC lost its season opener last week 73-52 to another GSAC school, Westmont. The Beacons return four starters from a team that finished 8-19 and defeated the Sunbirds 58-46 last season at a tournament in northern California.

In last year's meeting, FPU's Jessica Torrecillas led all scorers with 14 points, but it was not enough as the Sunbirds struggled offensively as a team. NWC's Lori Renner led the Beacons with 13 in that game.

Renner is the leading returner for NWC, as the senior guard averaged 12.6 points per game last season. The Beacons also return starting point guard Aly Bruns.

FPU's only returning starter is Torrecillas, who led the team in points and rebounds last season on her way to earning NAIA All-American honors. The Sunbirds do bring back senior guard Michele Rebozzi (8.5 ppg) and add four talented freshmen including all-state point guard Jenay Herring.

Men's Basketball: FPU (1-0) vs. Northwest Christian (1-0), 7 pm
Live Stats

FPU fans will get the first look at a team full of new talent when the Sunbirds take on Northwest Christian in the Special Events Center on Wednesday night.

It will be the home head coaching debut for Sunbirds' coach Chris Wright, who won his first career game last weekend with an 87-85 victory at Holy Names.

Tonight's opponent returns two starters from a team that went 14-17 with a 10-8 record in the Cascade Collegiate Conference: senior forward Cameron Marshall (9 ppg) and senior guard Quentin Guidry (8.4 ppg). The team adds two talented freshmen this year in guard Mitch Wilson and forward Trevor Parker.

FPU returns just one player who saw time on last season's 25-9 team, senior forward Jordan Wild (5.3 ppg). Wild led the Sunbirds with 19 points in the team's season opener. Senior point guard Adam Kado added 16 in that win. Kado redshirted last season, but was a big part of FPU's GSAC championship team two years ago.