Box Score

Fresno Pacific picked up its first PacWest win, snapping an 10-game losing streak with a 72-66 win over Hawaii Pacific on Thursday night. With the team finally nearing full strength as players return from injury, the Sunbirds got into a groove offensively and turned up the intensity on the defensive end to control the game from the outset.

"I feel like we just got a huge gorilla off our back tonight," said head coach Chris Wright. "I'm really proud of our guys. They showed a lot of resolve and never got discouraged, even after HPU went on a huge run in the second half. They did a great job of following the gameplan, speeding the game up and forcing HPU to play out of their element. I feel like, now that we've got this first one under our belts, we have the potential to go on a run the rest of the way like we did last year."

FPU (6-12, 1-9 PacWest) jumped out to an 11-point halftime lead, going on an 8-2 run to end the first half and lead the Sea Warriors 42-31 heading into the locker room. The first half was marked by hot shooting from Jackson Carbajal and thunderous dunks from Phil Jackson, who came off the bench to provide a spark in his first major action after returning from injury.

"I loved the way we finished the first half," said Wright. "We had a lot of momentum and it really speaks to the growth of this team over the last few weeks. It aslo felt great to have nine guys suited up. I forgot what it was like to be a coach that could play a rotation. Just having guys healthy is a huge plus."

The Sunbirds continued to be in the zone as the second half began, stretching their lead to as many as 17 points after Carbajal connected on a three-pointer to make it 54-37 with 13:29 remaining. Then the momentum completely shifted as HPU began a furious comeback, going on a 17-0 run over the next five and a half minutes to tie the game 54-54.

Malcolm Griffin found Johnell Thompson for a three-pointer to finally halt the run, putting FPU ahead 57-54 with 7:53 remaining. Griffin had reentered the game after picking up his fourth foul and led the charge as FPU rebuilt its lead up to eight.

HPU would get as close as three points, cutting the lead to 69-66 with 1:21 left but FPU free-throws by Jonathan Jefferson and Jackson down the stretch would seal the win.

Carbajal had a game-high 17 points to lead the Sunbirds. Trevon Clayton added 15 points and eight rebounds, Griffin had 14 points and six assists, and Jackson added 10 points.

"I thought Phil was the X-factor tonight," said Wright. "Everyone played well and it was definitely a team win, but Phil really gave us the boost that we've been missing. He can guard any big guy in our league and block and change shots. His presence tonight was huge and far greater than his stats indicated."

Jackson helped limit HPU 6'11" center Farbod Farman to a rough night from the field, as he made just 4-of-12 field goals.

The Sunbirds forced 21 HPU turnovers in the win. Malte Ziegenhagen scored 14 points to lead the Sea Warriors, who fell to 11-5, 6-4 in the PacWest.

FPU hosts last-place Hawaii Hilo (0-10 PacWest) on Saturday at 4:30 pm.