HONOLULU – After a late start due to facility issues, the Fresno Pacific University women's basketball team fell to Hawai'i Pacific 71-55 on Saturday evening.

"We played maybe the best half we've played all year in the first half. Not only did we shoot the ball well, but we defended the three-point line and battled inside," head coach Tim Beauregard said. "A team like HPU is hard to close out and they shifted the momentum in the second half. We were unable to keep our composure when they went on their big runs."
 
Bree Alvarez had a hot hand in the early going, combining a 4-of-4 effort from three with a pair free throws in the first half to score 14 points in 11 minutes. HPU's Sarah Liva was the only other player to reach double-figures before the half, and the Blue and Orange carried a slim 40-38 lead into the locker room at intermission.
 
The Sunbirds couldn't buy a bucket in the second half, shooting just 11.5% from the floor, while their hosts connected on half their shot attempts to pull away. FPU managed to win the turnover battle, however, doing so for the eighth time in their last nine games.
 
Liva finished her night with a game-high 12 rebounds and tied Alvarez for the game lead in points with 19. Landynn Munster posted a career-high 13 points off the Sunbird bench, while Breanna McKenzie and VeAnne Navarro each recorded 11 for the Sharks.
 
Fresno Pacific is set to wrap up their road trip to the Aloha State on Monday, when they take on BYU-Hawaii at the Cannon Activities Center. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. PST.

"I'm proud of our battle in the first half," Beauregard said. "We are looking forward to using that as fuel for Monday's game."