Box Score

Jessica Torrecillas had 29 points and 12 rebounds but it was not enough as the Sunbirds suffered their first loss of the season, falling 76-71 at home to Holy Names on Tuesday night.

Kelly Thompson finished with 16 points, Michele Rebozzi had 11 and Callie Rohrbacker added 10 as the Sunbirds (4-1) and the visiting Hawks (3-5) played a tight game from start to finish.

Turnovers plagued both teams, with a combined 51 committed in the game including 29 by the Sunbirds. Adding to FPU's trouble maintaining the ball was the fact that point guard Jenay Herring was in foul trouble from the start, getting called for three fouls in the first six and half minutes. She would pick up two more to start the second half and finish with just 10 minutes played.

Rohrbacker filled in well at the point guard position and helped the team climb back from an 18-7 deficit in the first half to get within one at halftime, 31-30.

Torrecillas gave the team its first lead of the game in the first minute of the second half, getting a bucket to go while being fouled. She was tough to stop all night, making 10-of-14 from the field and 9-of-10 from the line.

The teams exchanged leads for the first part of the second half until an HNU 15-5 run gave the Hawks a 56-45 advantage with just over ten minutes to play. Torrecillas and Brittany Baker helped the Sunbirds run off six unanswered points to get back within five, but the Hawks went on another run to up by 12.

The Hawks led by 12 with five minutes to play but the Sunbirds cut into the lead and would get within four at 71-67 on Thompson's three-pointer with 1:24 to play. Unfortunately the Sunbirds were called for a foul on a layup on the other end, resulting in a three-point play.

HNU got some quality minutes from center Yesenia Garzon, who had 21 points and 11 rebounds in 22 minutes played. Four other Hawks scored in double figures, led by Jamie Ronolo with 13. Lesley Vodicska had a game-high six assists.

Thompson led FPU with five assists and Torrecillas, Rohrbacker and Breana Buczek had three steals apiece. The Sunbirds out-shot HNU 43 percent to 36 and shot well from the line (17-for-22), but the Hawks shot 10 more free throws and hit 81 percent of theirs.

FPU now moves into the first part of its conference schedule, facing a tough task next Tuesday when they go on the road to take on NAIA #2 Azusa Pacific, a group that returns five starters from a team that lost in the national title game.