Box Score

Fresno Pacific played neck and neck with the GSAC's top team for a good 30 minutes, but the Eagles would pull away on their home court for a 66-53 win.

Jerante Morgan had 22 points and 10 rebounds before fouling out in what will hopefully not be his final game as a Sunbird. FPU will have to wait and see if they receive a bid to the NAIA National Tournament in Kansas City later this month.

After trailing just 31-30 at halftime, leading early in the second half and being down 49-46 with 8:30 left in the game, the Sunbirds were outscored 17-7 the rest of the way. FPU shot just 2-for-19 from three-point range, hurting the team's chances especially down the stretch.

The Sunbirds fell behind 12-3 early in the game as CUI's Taylor King drained two deep three-pointers. FPU would come storming back though with a 10-0 run capped by a fastbreak alley-oop dunk from Adam Kado to Jordan Wild, giving the Sunbirds a 13-12 lead.

FPU led 22-16 in the first half, but the Eagles would take a one-point lead into the locker room in a half that saw 10 lead changes.

Wild gave the Sunbirds the lead right back at the start of the second half and FPU would lead by three on two ocassions after Morgan jumpers. King hit a three with 16:14 remaining that would put CUI back on top for good.

The Sunbirds trailed 49-46 with 8:30 left but struggled mightily from there while the Eagles seemed to have every bounce and shot go their way down the stretch. A 17-2 run is what resulted and the Sunbirds were effectively finished.

King led the NAIA #2 Eagles (29-3) with 19 points. Tommy Granado added 19 and Jarel Smith had 11. Morgan was the only Sunbird in double figures, but Kado finished with nine points. Brandon Rowe had nine rebounds for FPU.

The loss puts FPU's fate in the hands of a selection committee that will put together the 32-team field for the national tournament. The way it looks right now, the Sunbirds appear to have about a 50-50 shot. The 4th place team from the GSAC has reached the national tournament in five of the last six years, but only three GSAC teams have been ranked this season.

Azusa Pacific defeated Point Loma Nazarene 57-55 in the other semifinal to reach the GSAC title game vs. Concordia on Tuesday. Those two teams, plus Biola, have already punched their tickets to the tourney.