Box Score

Fresno Pacific played Fresno State as close as they've ever played the NCAA D1 Bulldogs, falling 77-68 in the season-opening exhibition.

The Sunbirds were in the game until the final minute, never looking out of place against the much bigger Bulldogs. John Taylor led all scorers with 20 points. Malcolm Griffin added 15 for the Sunbirds.

FPU played ferocious defense, forcing 25 Bulldog turnovers. The Sunbirds were within striking distance throughout the game, getting as close as 49-47 midway through the second half.

FPU was still within seven points, trailing 66-59, with five minutes remaining when center Antonio Credit fouled out. The loss of Credit's presence inside, combined with Taylor having to leave the game for a few minutes due to injury, would prove to be too much for the Sunbirds to overcome in the closing minutes.

"We shot about as poorly as we can from the field, but that happens," said head coach Chris Wright. "The difference in the game was we gave up too many easy buckets. There was a stretch in the first half, the last four minutes, where I think we gave up three buckets in transition and to start the second half we gave up two easy ones. You are not going to beat Division I teams if you do that.

"When you look at [Fresno State's] field goal percentage, they shot over 50 and that's obviously too high, but when you force 25 turnovers that is going to lead to a lot of easy buckets for us. I think we can be very tough defensively, especially at our level. I love how hard this team plays, now we just have to play a little smarter and execute a whole lot better."

At times the Sunbirds looked the part of an almost entirely new team that was playing together for the first time, but the team also displayed flashes of immense potential, frustrating the Bulldogs on the defensive end and showing off an ability to score in bunches when they're clicking.

Fresno State came out on fire from the field, knocking down more than 70 percent of their shots well into the first half. The Bulldogs hit five of their first six three-pointers and would build a 25-14 lead. With the game getting physical and the calls not going their way, the Sunbirds kept their composure and fought back with a 9-0 run.

After a huge defensive possession that forced the Bulldogs to throw up a prayer as the shot clock expired, Taylor quickly took the ball down the floor and drained a deep three-pointer to get FPU within 25-21. Rickey Vick added a bucket on the next possession to cut the Bulldog lead to two.

The Sunbirds still trailed by just two points with 1:30 left in the half after a Taylor steal and dish to Matt Samuels, but the Bulldogs ran off a 6-0 run to head into the break up 35-27. FPU gave up some easy buckets early in the second half as the Bulldogs extended their lead to 44-32, but FPU refused to go down quietly.

Anthony Brant knocked down a three-pointer, followed by a Vick layup and two Taylor free-throws. Taylor then delivered a three-point play to cut the deficit to 44-42, making it a 10-0 FPU run. The Sunbirds held the Bulldogs without a field goal for more than six minutes during that span.

Griffin drained a three-pointer minutes later to keep FPU within two at 49-47 with 10:45 left but Taylor, battling cramps all night would have to leave the game for the first of two occasions. With their top scorer out the Sunbirds continued to battle, and after Fresno State extended the lead to eight, FPU brought it back down to six, 61-55, with 7:19 to play.

Fresno State's Allen Huddleston hit some big shots throughout the night, including a couple during crunch time to help put the game out of reach. He would extend the Bulldog lead to 11 with a three, but Vick followed with an impressive three-point play for the Sunbirds to make it 70-62. That score would hold until 1:41 remaining when Bulldog freshman Marvelle Harris  hit a dagger of a three-pointer, falling away from the corner as the shot clock expired.

Griffin knocked down another three, but time would run out on the Sunbirds, who tied the 2008 FPU team for the best showing against Fresno State. That team, fueled by a 33-point night from Marcus West, led for most of the game in a 97-88 loss.

Griffin finished the night with a team-high five assists and five steals, to go with his 15 points. Taylor added four of FPU's 15 steals. Credit led FPU with eight rebounds.

Huddleston led the Bulldogs with 19 points, and also had a team-high eight assists and eight turnovers. Kevin Foster added 16 points and Jerry Brown had 13. Tanner Giddings had 10 rebounds to lead the way off the bench. The Bulldogs shot 54 percent from the field while holding FPU to 38 percent and out-rebounded the Sunbirds 41-30.

The Sunbirds played without guard Zach Kaul due to injury while Fresno State was without last year's leading scorer Kevin Olekaibe.

FPU has a tough task tomorrow night, hosting former coach Jim Saia and Cal State San Marcos for an exhibition game at 7 pm. The Cougars have a talented team loaded with Division I transfers and last night played tough against nationally-ranked #20 San Diego State, going into halftime tied with the Aztecs before falling 67-46.

Last season marked the first ever meeting between the two programs, a two-point CSUSM win in San Marcos.