Box Score

Malcolm Griffin shined in his final FPU home game, finishing with 21 points, eight assists and five steals as the Sunbirds defeated Academy of Art 83-77 on senior night. FPU has now won six of its last seven games.

Jackson Carbajal added 15 points in his final home game and Trevon Clayton finished with a double-double of 15 points and 12 rebounds. Johnell Thompson added 16 points off the bench for the Sunbirds, including some key buckets down the stretch to secure the win.

FPU (11-13, 6-10 PacWest) led by five at halftime and by as many as 10 midway through the second half, but a late run by the Urban Knights turned up the excitement for the game's closing minutes. The Sunbirds led 65-58 with just over five minutes remaining but ARTU would go on a 7-0 run to tie the game.

Two plays later Alex Carmon would give the Urban Knights their first lead of the half with a three-pointer to put them up by one. FPU senior Jonathan Jefferson came right back down with a layup for FPU as the Sunbirds regained the lead, and the teams would trade baskets for the next couple possessions.

Griffin would give the team the lead for good, knocking down two free-throws to make it 75-74 with 1:31 left. Thompson would fuel the final run for the Sunbirds, scoring nine points in the last three minutes to put the game out of reach. After Griffin's free-throw he would steal the ball, draw a foul and proceed to score the team's next five points.

"Johnell gave us a spark," said Griffin. "He hit a big three, got us some steals and hit some free-throws. JJ came up big on the glass too and that helped us close it out."

Carmon had 24 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Urban Knights (6-18, 4-13 PacWest). Alexis Moore added 22 points in the loss.

It was the final home game for Griffin, Carbajal, Jefferson and Josh Mason.

"Our seniors came up big tonight," said head coach Chris Wright. "Jackson did a nice job. He had some key buckets for us, some timely shots in big moments. It was nice to see him finish out his career like that. Malcolm did what he's done for the past two years. I love his competitive nature. He's willing to do whatever it takes. We haven't had the kind of year we expected but the success we have had this year is largely credit to him. We're really going to miss his fire and passion."

FPU improved to 11-13, 6-10 in PacWest play and will close the season on a four-game road trip in Hawaii.

"This obviously wasn't the year we all envisioned but you know, people get hurt and things don't always go as planned," said Griffin. "That's life and you just got to keep going. We didn't put our heads down, we didn't give up and it's resulted in some good wins over the last month. We've got four more games and we're going to keep that same approach of working hard every day and doing our best to come away with some wins."

Senior Night comments from Coach Wright:

Malcolm Griffin

" We are going to miss Malcolm's competitive drive and playmaking ability. His fire and passion have inspired his teammates. He did a tremendous job for us over the past two years, and I am proud of how he has grown personally during his time here at FPU. He is a special person that I am going to miss coaching."

Jackson Carbajal

"Jackson had an outstanding senior season for us. His ability to the shoot basketball and score efficiently on a consistent basis will be extremely hard to replace. He has been a joy to coach this season, and I know he has a bright future ahead of him."

Jonathan Jefferson

"JJ has been one of our hardest workers throughout the course of the season, and has provided us with a tough inside presence. He has been essential to the success we have had this season, and I am excited to see what he accomplishes in the future."

Josh Mason

"We will miss Josh's ability to get the rim and create for others. I appreciate his efforts for us, and I am proud of how he has grown this year. He is a gifted person that will have success in life."