Box Score

Hilo, Hawaii -- The Sunbirds rallied to secure a 63-56 victory over Hawaii Hilo and guarantee their first winning conference season since 2002.

"I think you have to give all the credit to all of the girls for being willing to adjust to all of the change and to be willing to buy into where we want to go as a program," said head coach Lindsey Wilson. "This is a great step for our first year and we look forward to continuing to build on it."
 
Fresno Pacific (11-14, 11-8 PacWest) got double-digit efforts from Keairra White and Patrice Saindon in their 11th win of the season. Saindon regisitered her largest scoring output since February 5 when she poured in 21 against Notre Dame de Namur.

White, in one of her most efficient nights of the season scored her 16 points on just 10 shots. Her 70-percent shooting percentage is a career-high eclipsing her previous high of 66.7-percent set earlier this season against Chico State.

"She is one of the players that is able to get to the rim and create her own shot and still do it out of what we are trying to do as a team," said Wilson.
 
The Sunbirds jumped out to an early seven-point lead at 21-14 before UHH (9-14, 8-11 PacWest) closed the half on a 15-11 run to pull within three at the break. The Vulcans immediately tied the game out of the half and quickly built up a five-point lead of their own. FPU grabbed the lead for good with 3:11 remaining thanks to a White jumper that gave the Sunbirds a one-point lead.
 
With the guarantee of its first winning conference season Fresno Pacific has turned around its women's basketball program much quicker than most around the PacWest expected. The Sunbirds were picked to finish 11th in the conference and currently sit tied for sixth in the PacWest.
 
FPU will close out its season on Saturday when they face Chaminade. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. in Honolulu.