FRESNO, Calif. – The Fresno Pacific University women's basketball team is set to host PacWest Conference opponent Azusa Pacific on Saturday, with tipoff from the Special Events Center schedule for 2:30 p.m.    
 
THIS WEEK
Game 26
vs. Azusa Pacific
Saturday, Feb. 18 • 2:30 p.m.
Special Events Center • Fresno, Calif.  
Stats • Video  
 
SCHEDULE  
The Sunbirds play their final road game of the season on Feb. 23, when they head to San Rafael to battle Dominican for the second time this month. The season concludes two days later against Notre Dame de Namur, with FPU recognizing its four seniors (Alex Green, Kaysha Fox, Hannah Ramirez, and Abrina Salas) prior to the opening tip.
 
ABOUT THE SUNBIRDS (5-20, 2-15 PACWEST)
The Sunbirds are fresh off a three-game road swing to Hawaii, where the final contest saw their game-tying shot attempt land off the mark with eight seconds to play. Junior Megan Lee put up a team-high 26 points while sinking four of her five threes in the third quarter, while Salas posted a career-high 15 points. Bree Alvarez was held to just six points but still ranks fourth in the PacWest with 16.1 points per game. Viviana Vasquez, Cassie Pisik, and Ashley Cross have each averaged over four rebounds per game, accounting for more than a third of FPU's efforts on the glass.
 
ABOUT THE COUGARS (13-12, 11-6 PACWEST)
Azusa Pacific comes in having won six of their last eight games but just one of their last three. In Saturday's 77-65 victory over Concordia, Gabrielle Kaiser recorded a double-double with 18 points while matching teammate Samantha Huddleston's team-best 10 rebounds. Abigail Goodsell and Zoe March combined for 25 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists, while Kaiser racked up four blocks to lead the Cougar defense. Goodsell has tallied 15.2 points per game to lead the team, with Kaiser less than half a point per game behind her. APU does not have a Top 20 rebounder in the PacWest, but four players are averaging 5.0 rebounds or better per game.
 
SERIES HISTORY: FPU VS AZUSA PACIFIC
The Cougars have controlled the all-time series to date, winning 41 of 69 total meetings. The last time the two teams met in Fresno came in December of 2014, when FPU's Jenay Herring went for 31 points in a 79-67 loss.  
 
HEAD COACH TIM BEAUREGARD
In his first year as the head coach of the Sunbirds, Beauregard returned to FPU after previously serving as an assistant from 2006-10. During a head coaching transition following his final season as the lead assistant at FPU, Beauregard oversaw the program for a brief period, landing top recruit Jenay Herring who went on to become FPU's second all-time leading scorer.
 
Following his time at FPU, Beauregard was hired as the lead assistant at Azusa Pacific University where he was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the program, including scheduling, recruiting, scouting and practice planning. The Cougars went on to win the 2011 NAIA National Championship after finishing as the national runner-up in 2010.
 
Beauregard is well connected in the women's basketball world and has served as camp director for nationally-recognized NBC Camps since 2005. He has run over 50 overnight camps and clinics ranging from Canada to Colorado to Southern California, and several spots in between. While at NBC Camps, Beauregard combined and emphasized basketball training with psychological and spiritual training to develop integrity and confidence in his student-athletes.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA - #TeamFPU
FPU Athletics on Facebook
(/fpuathletics)
FPU Athletics on Twitter
(@fpusunbirds)
FPU Athletics on Instagram
(@fpusunbirds)
FPU Athletics on YouTube
(fresnopacificuni)
FPU Women's Basketball on Twitter
(@FPUWBB)