Box Score

Belmont, Calif. - FPU picked up its first win against an NCAA Division II opponent on Friday at the Notre Dame de Namur Thanksgiving Classic, using a strong second half to hand Simon Fraser (4-1) its first loss of the season 84-64. Malcolm Griffin had 23 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Sunbirds (3-2), while John Taylor added 21 points and five steals.

FPU led by four at halftime and proceeded to shoot 61 percent in the second half while playing with intensity on the defensive end to pull away for the victory. The Sunbirds shot 50 percent from the field on the night and hit 16-of-20 from the free-throw line (80%), while forcing 17 SFU turnovers. FPU meanwhile did a great job of taking care of the ball, finishing with just 11 turnovers.

"I was really proud of our guys tonight," said head coach Chris Wright. "Obviously the result is great, but just the fact that we're continuing to get better. We're finally starting to see some carryover from practice to on the floor. I tell the guys when we play hard, when we play smart, when we play unselfish, good things happen. I thought we did all three of those things tonight."

Matt Samuels added 12 points in the win for FPU, Antonio Credit scored eight to go with seven rebounds and Trevon Clayton provided a boost off the bench with nine points. Griffin and Taylor had four assists apiece to lead the team. Rickey Vick had six points and six rebounds and played lockdown defense all night.

"We're getting better," said Wright. "Its a process. We have a lot of new guys but those guys are really buying in to what we're doing and each guy is playing his role. I thought our bench was outstanding tonight, they did a great job."

David Gebru had 19 points to lead Simon Frase and Elijah Matthews added 15. Gebru was just 3-for-10 from the line however and the Clan hit just 47 percent from the charity stripe as a team.

FPU trailed by as many as seven in the first half but went on a 9-2 run capped off by a fastbreak layup by Griffin to tie it at 22. The Sunbirds then trailed by four with 2:30 left in the half but scored eight straight to head into halftime ahead 37-33 after a Griffin three-pointer, a three-point play converted by Samuels and a layup by Credit on a great dish by Zach Kaul.

Simon Fraser got within two points with the first bucket of the half but would never get any closer than that. Griffin and Taylor sparked a 10-3 run that put FPU up 68-55 and minutes later the team put together another run, this time 14-3, to put the game out of reach. That run included a thunderous dunk by Credit on a dish from Taylor, who had weaved his way through a couple double-teams as the Clan tried to press.

The Sunbirds were able to showcase their depth by emptying the bench in the final two minutes and Tyler Goslinga delivered his first points of the season to give FPU a game-high 23-point lead in the final minute.

The Sunbirds continue the tournament tomorrow at 5 pm, facing #18 Cal Poly Pomona, one of the top NCAA Division II programs in the West. Cal Poly Pomona defeated tournament host Notre Dame de Namur 67-49 tonight.

"It's a great test for us," said Wright. "They're as good a team as there is in the West Region, as well coached as there is, and have a lot of talented players. The guys are excited. We're ready to embrace the challenge and see where we're at."