FRESNO, Calif. – The Fresno Pacific women's basketball team is set for two PacWest Conference games this weekend, paying visits to Azusa Pacific on Wednesday and Concordia two days later.  

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"Although we have been playing better lately, we will have to play even better this week in order to stay on track. APU is one of the top teams in the country year in and year out, and they pose a challenge to anybody, especially when they are playing at home. Concordia is a team that we will have to play very well against to come away with a win. It's going to be a great week of basketball, and we are looking forward to the challenge." – head coach Tim Beauregard
 
SCHEDULE
Game 16
vs. #18 Azusa Pacific
Wednesday, January 3 • 5:30 p.m.
Azusa, Calif. • Felix Event Center
Live Stats • Video
 
Game 17
vs. Concordia
Friday, January 5 • 5:30 p.m.
Irvine, Calif. • CU Arena
Live Stats • Video
 
About Fresno Pacific (6-8, 4-2 PacWest)
• The Sunbirds are coming off their third straight league victory after defeating Academy of Art 81-72 at the Special Events Center on Saturday afternoon.  
• Five FPU players scored in double-figures in the win over the Urban Knights, led by Bree Alvarez' 16 points. She is the fifth different Sunbird to lead the team in scoring this season.
• Cassie Pisik hauled in her second double-double of the season on Saturday, scoring 14 points while hauling in a team-high 11 rebounds.
• The Sunbirds have now won the turnover battle in five of their first six conference games, forcing 19.5 and committing 12.1 in league games.
• Three-pointers have been a big part of the FPU offense this season, as the Sunbirds have taken 368 shots from behind the arc. Among PacWest teams, only Azusa Pacific has taken more threes (399).
 
Sunbird Leaderboard
• Points: Cassie Pisik, 12.8 PPG
• Rebounds: Cassie Pisik, 6.9 RPG
• Assists: Jessica Malazarte, 3.7 APG
• Blocks: Julia LoCastro, 26
• Steals: Jessica Malazarte, 27
• FG%: Julia LoCastro, 48.4%
• Three-Pointers: Megan Lee, 34
 
About Azusa Pacific (14-2, 5-1 PacWest)
• APU ranks 18th nationally in the latest edition of the WBCA Coaches Poll, which was released on January 3.
• The Cougars defeated Concordia in Irvine on Saturday to give the Brick and Black their third consecutive victory.
• Against the Eagles, four Cougars scored in double-figures, highlighted by Gabrielle Kaiser's 18 points. She ranks 13th on the PacWest Conference leaderboard, six spots behind teammate Abbigail Goodsell.
• APU claims the highest scoring margin in the league, outscoring opponents by 15.0 points per game so far this season.
• The Cougars won both meetings against the Sunbirds last season, giving APU a 42-28 record in the all-time series.
 
Cougar Leaderboard
• Points: Abbigail Goodsell, 16.1 PPG
• Rebounds: Savanna Hanson, 8.6 RPG
• Assists: Zoe March, 5.3 APG
• Blocks: Gabrielle Kaiser, 28
• Steals: Savanna Hanson, 34
• FG%: Gabrielle Kaiser, 48.7%
• Three-Pointers: Rachel Bozlee, 38
 
About Concordia (7-5, 4-2 PacWest)
• The Eagles fell to APU on Saturday, despite 16 points and a game-high 11 rebounds from Michaela Vanderklugt.  
• As a team, Concordia has played some of the best defense in the league, holding opponents to just 62.3 points per game.
• Since the beginning of last season, the Eagles have been a better team away from home, posting a record of 5-8 in league contests at CU Arena.
• With Concordia taking last year's meeting in Fresno, the Eagles now have a 33-27 advantage in the all-time series against FPU.
 
Eagle Leaderboard
• Points: Michaela Vanderklugt, 11.8 PPG
• Rebounds: Michaela Vanderklugt, 8.4 RPG
• Assists: Montana Walters, 2.6 APG
• Blocks: Kennedy Fulcher, 10
• Steals: Sopavy Seng, 14
• FG%: Riley Friauf, 45.7%
• Three-Pointers: Montana Walters, 23
 
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