FRESNO, Calif. – The Fresno Pacific women's basketball team picked up a key PacWest victory on Monday night, defeating longtime rival Point Loma 81-69 at the Special Events Center.
 
QUOTABLE:
"We haven't played well at home, so tonight was about us turning the corner. Our gameplan hadn't changed much from the last couple of games. We wanted to pick up the pace and put some emphasis on the defensive end because our offense comes from our defense. Point Loma has some really good players, and I thought we did a good job on them tonight. To stay on track for our goals, we needed to snag this one and keep the momentum going. We have four more home games, and we have to protect our court." – head coach Tim Beauregard
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:
Final: Fresno Pacific 81, Point Loma 69
Records: FPU (7-10, 5-4 PacWest), Point Loma (9-6, 4-4 PacWest)
Location: Special Events Center | Fresno, Calif.  
All-Time Series: PLNU leads 42-33
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HOW IT HAPPENED:
• The Sea Lions controlled the opening tip, but Bree Alvarez' three at the other end gave Fresno Pacific the first bucket of the night.
• The Sunbirds put the foot on the gas early, taking a 22-14 lead to end the first quarter with seven players finding the bottom of the net along the way.
• Freshman Jessica Malazarte became the first player in double-figures, as her 11 points gave the Blue and Orange a 44-33 lead at the intermission.
• Point Loma refused to go quietly, cutting the Sunbird lead to four with 6:23 to play.
• FPU hit free throws down the stretch, going 12-for-14 from the line in the game's final minutes to hold on for the win.  
 
STATS OF THE GAME:
• PLNU's Roya Rustamzada led all scorers with 26 points as one of three Sea Lions in double-figures, while FPU's Cassie Pisik countered with a team-high 16 points and a game-best 15 rebounds.
• Ashley Cross went for 15 points of her own, while Alvarez and Malazarte followed with 14 and 13 respectively.
• Julia LoCastro had a big defensive showing for the Sunbirds, racking up three blocks and five defensive rebounds.
• The Sunbirds outrebounded their hosts 54-43 while forcing Point Loma into 12 turnovers and committing just nine.
 
BEYOND THE BOX:
• The Sunbirds have now won the turnover battle in eight of their first nine league games.
• Monday marked the third time this season that FPU has committed less than ten turnovers as a team.
• Cassie Pisik now has three double-doubles for the year.  
 
UP NEXT:
• The Sunbirds return to action on Saturday, when they host Hawai'i Hilo in PacWest Conference action. Tipoff from the Special Events Center is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.