HONOLULU – The Fresno Pacific men's basketball team snapped a five-game skid on Saturday evening, pulling out a 69-68 victory over Hawai'i Pacific on the road. The Sunbirds have now won the last three meetings against the Sharks, including two in Honolulu.
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:

• Final: FPU 69, HPU 68 
• Records: FPU (4-9, 2-5 PacWest), HPU (4-8, 2-4 PacWest)
• Location: The Shark Tank | Honolulu

 
QUOTABLE:

• "This was a distinct level of toughness and depth that our team has not shown yet, and is an encouraging small step in our process. Twelve guys had to play through an adverse environment, and the toughness of our upperclassmen carries us. Our grit on defense is tremendous, Adrian Antunez and Aamondae Coleman carried the load offensively, and Sean Nealon-Lino made a clutch three that was the difference for us. We will have to reset for our third game in five days as we prepare for a tremendously talented opponent in Chaminade on short rest." – head coach C.J. Haydock

 
HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The Sharks controlled the opening tip, but the Sunbirds came away with the first bucket of the night after Nate Kendricks found Coleman under the basket for an easy layup. 
• Antunez connected on 5-of-8 from the floor to score a team-high 11 first-half points, leading the Blue and Orange to a 35-29 lead at the break.
• Fresno Pacific held on to the lead for the bulk of the second half, but a trip to the charity stripe gave the Sharks a one-point edge with 7:41 to play.
• Kendricks knocked down a triple to give the Sunbirds their final lead of the night, pushing the lead to as many as eight down the stretch.
• The Sharks were forced to play the foul game in the final few minutes, but FPU was able to hold on for their second conference victory.

 
STATS FROM THE GAME:

• Aamondae Coleman led the 'Birds with 21 points on 8-of-11 from the floor, while A.J. Kirby hauled in a team-high seven rebounds.
• The Sharks won the turnover battle 21-16, while each team hauled in 33 rebounds.
• Fresno Pacific connected on 50% from the floor, including a 7-of-17 effort from three-point range.

 
BEYOND THE BOX:

• Aamondae Coleman has led the team in scoring more frequently than anyone else on the team. 

 
SOCIAL:

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

 
UP NEXT:

• The Sunbirds wrap up the visit to the islands on Monday, when they take on Chaminade in Honolulu. Tipoff from McCabe Gym is slated for 7:30 p.m. PST.