Box Score

Fresno Pacific led for large stretches of the game, but a 14-0 second half run helped #5 Concordia maintain its first place standing as the Eagles downed the Sunbirds 81-75 in Fresno, Thursday night.

FPU (10-4, 3-2 GSAC) led 47-42 in the second half, but after a 14-0 Concordia run the Sunbirds were playing catch-up the rest of the night. it was the first home loss of the season for FPU.

"The guys played hard; they really competed tonight," said FPU coach Chris Wright. "There were just a couple stretches where we didn't make the best decisions and that really cost us."

18 turnovers and 10 missed free throws hurt the Sunbirds, but the team was in the game from start to finish, refusing to back down against the GSAC's top team.

Jordan Wild started the game out with a thunderous dunk on a well-timed pass from Deshaun Legree and would add another dunk minutes later, bringing the home crowd to its feet. The Sunbirds would lead by as many as five in the first half, but Concordia would come back and take the lead in the half's final five minutes.

A three-pointer by Matt Christman tied the game with 51 seconds until the break, but Eagles' point guard Peter Smith hit a running jumper as time expired to give CUI the 37-35 halftime lead.

The Sunbirds got the lead right back in the second half as Jerante Morgan tied it with a layup and Legree followed with two buckets to put FPU on top by four. The team stretched the lead to six when Morgan put back a missed jumper to make the score 45-39 with 17:05 on the clock.

The Sunbirds led 47-42 with just over 16 minutes remaining, but that's when Concordia began to find its stride. A three-pointer by Cameron Gliddon would tie the game at 47 and after an FPU possession that saw the team miss four shots, Austin Simon connected on a three to give the Eagles their first lead since the beginning of the half.

Another three by Gliddon minutes later would make the score 56-47 Concordia with 11:50 to play and would cap off a 14-0 Eagles run. An Adam Kado free-throw stopped the run and a three-pointer by Christman gave the Sunbirds some momentum, cutting the lead to 56-51.

Jarrel Smith immediately answered with a three for the Eagles, but the Sunbirds would cut the lead to five again, aided by a technical foul called on the Eagles' bench. Two deep three-pointers by Taylor King, who had been quiet until that point, helped bring the Eagles lead back to nine.

The Sunbirds were unable to recover from that point, getting within six with 48 seconds left at 75-69 after Morgan tipped in a missed free throw, but it would be too late for a comeback. Concordia, which sank 14-of-18 free throws on the night, iced the game at the line.

Morgan led FPU with 18 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks. Legree finished with 13 and Christman had 10 points to go with five assists. Kado assisted on five buckets as well.

Jarrel Smith was the leading scorer for the Eagles with 18. Peter Smith had 16 and seven assists, King scored 14 and reigning GSAC player of the year Justin Johnson added 10. The Eagles turned the ball over 17 times, but shot 50 percent.

"We're still searching for that signature win," said Wright. "We've come really close to beating some very good teams, but we have to find a way to get over the hump and close those games out."

The Sunbirds move on to play a vastly improved Hope International team in Fullerton this Saturday. The Royals, who failed to win a single conference game last season, are 10-5 with a 1-4 GSAC record.