FRESNO, Calif. – The Fresno Pacific University women's basketball team stumbled on Saturday afternoon, falling 93-73 to Dominican in PacWest Conference play.
 
The Penguins controlled the opening tip, but it was Abrina Salas who scored the first two points of the night at the other end of the floor. The two teams swapped buckets for the opening period, with Dominican claiming a slim 23-22 edge at quarter's end.
 
Hannah Ramirez connected on a pair of threes early in the second quarter, but Sandra Ikeora shifted the momentum with a layup that put the Penguins on top by a bucket with 8:47 to play before the intermission. Dominican went on a 21-6 run to end the first half and went into the locker room with a 15-point advantage.
 
Megan Lee found 11 of her 14 points in the second half, but Dominican connected on 48% from the floor to stay in a rhythm for the duration of the game. Ikeora and teammate Jade Castro combined for 30 points in the final 20 minutes, lifting the Penguins to a league victory.
 
Individually, Alvarez finished with a team-high 15 points, while Ashley Cross hauled in a career-best 11 rebounds. Ikeora and Taylor Donnot each went for a double-double for Dominican, totaling 57 points and 27 rebounds.
 
The Sunbirds are back in action next week, as they take on Hawai'i-Hilo for the first of three league games in the Aloha State. Tipoff from UHH Gymnasium is slated for 7:00 p.m. PST.