FRESNO, Calif. - The Fresno Pacific men's basketball team picked up its' first win of the season on Tuesday night, defeating Cal State Monterey Bay 78-67 in the home opener. Junior guard Raine McKeython led all scorers with 23 points, including a perfect 13-for-13 effort from the free throw line.  
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:

• Final: FPU 78, CSUMB 67 
• Records: FPU (1-4), CSUMB (3-4)
• Location: Special Events Center | Fresno, Calif. 

 
HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The Otters controlled the opening tip, allowing Jared Williams to knock down a three for the first bucket of the night.
• A.J. Kirby hit a three to put the Blue and Orange up 10-7, and FPU followed with a 16-4 run over the next six minutes.
• Spencer Heimerdinger closed out the first half with a layup to send the Sunbirds to the locker room with a with a 12-point lead at the break.   
• The two teams exchanged missed opportunities early in the second half before an Otter turnover led to an Aamondae Coleman layup at the other end of the floor.
• CSUMB got within eight at the 13:05 mark, but the Sunbirds never relinquished the lead and held on for the win.  

 
STATS FROM THE GAME:

• Nate Kendricks (12 points), Jonathan Brown (11) and Adrian Antunez (11) joined McKeython in double-figures, while A.J. Kirby collected a team-high seven boards. 
• CSUMB outrebounded FPU 39-30, but the Sunbirds won the turnover battle by a margin of 16-14. 
• Damian Williams led the Otters in scoring for the third straight game, tallying 16 points on a 5-of-12 shooting effort.

 
BEYOND THE BOX:

• McKeython is the fourth different Sunbird in five games to lead the team in scoring.
• Coleman cleared 700 career points in the win.

 
SOCIAL:

• Twitter - @fpusunbirds
• Instagram - @fpusunbirds 
• Facebook - /FPUathletics

 
UP NEXT:

• The Sunbirds return to action on Saturday, when they hit the road to take on Cal State East Bay in the final non-conference game of the season. Tipoff from Pioneer Gym in Hayward is slated for 7:30 p.m.