Three Sunbirds scored in double-digits in a 72-61 loss to the Cal Poly Pomona Broncos on Wednesday. Keairra White led the way with 14 points on a rough shooting night for the Sunbirds.

"Despite the loss we became a better team tonight we showed that we had a lot of fight in us and I was very proud of the way we fought back into the game after going down big in the first half," said head coach Erin Scholz. "It took us too long to get into an offensive rhythm and I really think that the first 10 minutes of the game is what lost the game for us."

Junior JJ Judge was too much to handle for Fresno Pacific as they surrendered 28 points to the guard from Roseville, Calif. to go along with eight rebounds and three blocks.

Keri Stephanoff nearly notched her first double-double of the season in a 12 point nine rebound night for the senior forward. Stephanoff scored in double-digits for the second consecutive game. Kayla Clement chipped in 13 points on 4-11 shooting all of which came from behind the 3-point line. Stephanoff was forced out of the game late in the second half with an injury and did not return.

Fresno Pacific (0-3) fell behind as many as 15 midway through the first half, largely in part to 13 first half turnovers which led to 10 points on the other end for the Broncos (1-1).

With three minutes remaining in opening period of play a pair of Stephanoff free throws sparked an 11-4 run at the end of the half that brought the Sunbirds to within in nine at the break.

Neither team managed points in the second half for nearly three minutes when a pair of JJ Judge free throws pushed the Broncos lead back up to 11. Both teams would continue to go back and forth as the lead hovered between 7-10 points for much of the half.

With 11 minutes left Keairra White got things going offensively after a 1-10 start from the field. She would help spark a 10-2 run that brought FPU to within just one point with just under six minutes to play.

Fresno Pacific turned the ball over on three of their next four possessions and allowed CPP to jump back out to an eight point lead with only two minutes remaining which proved to be too much for the Sunbirds to overcome.

"Tonight was good for us because we got better as a team," said Scholz. "Now we want to see carryover and commitment to the next game. We are in a growth process right now and it can be painful. You don't see the results overnight and that is what we keep telling the team; we just have to keep pressing that."

Despite the 61 points FPU only shot 29.9-percent from the floor and 24.2-percent from beyond the arc, their lowest shooting percentages of the season. The Sunbirds managed to stay in the game with a rebounding edge that led to 14 second chance points.

Fresno Pacific will be back in action this Saturday at home when they play host to Chico State in the Special Events Center at 3 pm.