FRESNO, Calif. – The Fresno Pacific University women's basketball team won their first exhibition of the season on Monday evening, outlasting Bethesda to hang on for a narrow 75-71 victory.

"We are trying to shift the culture into a mindset of fighting through and not giving up. The adversity that we have made us limited tonight, and we had to play a style that we hadn't worked on a ton," head coach Tim Beauregard said. "I'm proud of my girls for continuing to believe they could win."

Bethesda controlled the opening tip, and Estela Gutierrez scored the first bucket of the night to give the visitors the first lead of the night. The Flames shot almost 47% from the floor in the first quarter and led 22-18 heading into the second.

FPU provided a much different effort in the second stanza, outscoring their guests 16-8 to carry a 32-30 advantage into the locker room at intermission. Bree Alvarez led all scorers with a dozen points after the first 20 minutes, paving the way for a big offensive night.

The second half was back-and-forth, as each team exchanged offensive runs and defensive mistakes. The Sunbirds' biggest lead of the night came in the third quarter, going on top by as many as ten before Bethesda fired back to take a 65-64 lead with just over four minutes to play.

The Blue and Orange took the lead for good when an Alvarez trey put FPU on top 69-67 with 2:13 on the clock. Alvarez had the hot hand for most of the night, as the sophomore finished her night with a game-high 25 points.  

Teammate Megan Lee was on her heels, wrapping up with 21 points, and Hannah Ramirez picked up a double-double with ten points and ten boards. Bethesda's DQ Townsend went for a double-double of her own with a dozen points and game-high 13 rebounds, while Gutierrez led the team with 17 points.

Bethesda claimed a 51-47 advantage on the glass, but the Sunbirds won the turnover battle, forcing 29 and committing 19. The Flames outshot their hosts at the charity stripe and on the floor, but FPU was able to hold on and taste victory for the first time this season.

The Sunbirds officially begin the season on Friday, when they take on Seattle Pacific in the opening game of the PacWest/GNAC Challenge. Tipoff from Seattle is set for 5:00 p.m.  

"We want to continue to work with a gritty effort. We had some beautiful possessions tonight, and making the extra pass is always good for us," Beauregard said. "Once we are at full strength, we're going to be able to do those things."