Box Score

Fresno Pacific led for most of the second half, but turnovers and bad breaks in the final two minutes did in the Sunbirds as they fell 72-64 at Point Loma Nazarene on Saturday.

Jenay Herring had 17 points and Jessica Torrecillas scored 16 points in 12 minutes played, while battling foul trouble from the outset. The Sunbirds led 56-50 with seven and a half minutes to play before the Sea Lions made a run to tie it.

Torrecillas re-entered the game after a long absence from picking up her fourth foul and promptly gave the Sunbirds a bucket to put them up 58-56. She would add two free throws that put FPU ahead 60-58 with 3:26 left, but that would be the team's last lead.

The Sea Lions would tie it on the next possession on a shot from point guard Brianna Colon. PLNU's guards did nearly all of the team's scoring as Colon finished with 24 points and Crissa Jackson had a game-high 26.

After a Sunbird turnover and a PLNU miss and offensive rebound, the Sea Lions got bailed out by a foul call with the shot clock winding down. That led to a three-pointer by Jackson that gave PLNU a 63-60 lead with just over two minutes left.

FPU turnovers and missed opportunities would characterize the rest of the game as the Sea Lions scored five more unanswered to put the game out of reach.

The Sunbirds had trailed 32-31 at halftime, but a Kelly Thompson three-pointer right out of the gate, followed by a trey from Herring shifted the momentum. Torrecillas went to work inside to give FPU a seven-point lead and the Sunbirds were rolling until Torrecillas was hit with her fourth foul with 15:38 left.

Michele Rebozzi and Herring knocked down threes to keep the Sea Lions at arm's length, until PLNU would make its late run.

Herring and Torrecillas both ended up fouling out in the closing minutes. Herring finished with five assists and the Sunbirds held a considerable advantage when those two were able to be in the game.

Tineka Spencer helped FPU stay in it when Torrecillas came out, finishing with 12 points and seven rebounds. Breana Buczek had a game-high nine rebounds, to go with five points and four assists.

The Sunbirds shot 45.3% from the field (5 percent better than PLNU), including 50% in the second-half, but turned the ball over 20 times. The Sea Lions (12-14, 7-11 GSAC) would capitalize with 25 points off turnovers.

FPU (8-20, 1-17 GSAC) returns home for senior night this Tuesday when they host #21 Westmont at 5:30 pm. The Sunbirds played the Warriors very tough in Santa Barbara in a 69-59 loss.