HONOLULU – The Fresno Pacific men's basketball team hung with #3 Hawai'i Pacific on Saturday, but the Sharks hot-shooting night proved to be the difference in the end as the Sunbirds fell 88-80 at the Blaisdell Center.
 
FPU falls to 4-19 overall and 4-12 in the PacWest with the defeat, while HPU improves to 22-2 overall and 14-2 in league action.
 
Sam Burt recorded his first double-double of the season with 26 points (12-of-19) and 11 rebounds to lead the Sunbirds. Both totals were career bests as the junior forward was active all night in the middle, grabbing seven offensive boards while recording two assists, a steal and a block. T.J. Viney added a career best 20 points (4-of-7 3FG) and four assists, Oliver Herting totaled 11 points, Spencer Krannitz added nine points, three rebounds and three assists and Mike Crawley totaled six points, six assists and seven rebounds.
 
The Sunbirds opened the game with seven straight points, four from Herting and a three from Krannitz, to force a timeout from the Sharks. HPU answered with a 31-8 run the next nine minutes, however, to take control of the game. FPU trailed 48-35 at the half.
 
An offensive rebound and layup from Burt with five minutes to play cut the FPU deficit to nine, which was followed by a pair of free throws from Viney. Down 78-71 with 3:37 left, the Sunbirds wouldn't come any closer as HPU closed out the win with free throws.
 
FPU out-scored HPU 46-24 in the paint, but the Sharks won the rebounding battle 44-28. The Sharks and Sunbirds both finished the night with a 48 percent clip from the floor, with the difference coming from beyond the arc as HPU drained 14 threes to FPU's seven.
 
Chauncey Orr (12-of-15 FG) scored a career high 34 points, which included seven threes on eight attempts. He added eight rebounds and four assists. Connor Looney chipped in with 22 points.
 
The Sunbirds wrap up their road trip on Monday at BYU-Hawaii, with the game slated to start at 9:30 p.m. (PT).