SAN RAFAEL, Calif. -  The Fresno Pacific women's basketball team opened PacWest Conference play against Dominican on Friday night, picking up a 76-63 victory on the road. 
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:  
·       Final: FPU 76, DUC 63
·       Records: FPU (1-2, 1-0), DUC (0-1, 0-1) 
·       Location: Conlan Center | San Rafael, Calif.    

QUOTABLE:   
·       "We played a much more connected defensive game tonight. I thought we traveled our voices and really stayed engaged on that end of the floor. Offensively, we played very loose and free in transition while seeking great team shots and were able to slow it down and execute when we needed. We look forward to the challenge of trying to beat a good team two days in a row." – fifth-year head coach Tim Beauregard
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:  
·       The first 3:17 of the game featured an 11-4 run for the Sunbirds, with Jessica Malazarte knocking down a pair of triples and Felicia Dourva capping the stretch with five straight points. 
·       Bayli McClard knocked down the opening basket of the second quarter, tying the game at 24.
·       As a team, the Sunbirds shot 41.4 percent (12-for-29) from the field in the first half, trailing by a point at the intermission. 
·       Vanessa Cochrane knocked down a jumper that gave the Sunbirds a 46-43 lead midway through the third quarter, and the Blue and Orange began to pull away for the first time. 
·       A jumper from Malazarte gave the Sunbirds a 57-49 lead with 9:23 left in the game. 
·      Another Malazarte three-pointer sparked a 17-7 run that powered the Sunbirds the rest of the way. 
 
STATS FROM THE GAME:  
·       Malazarte led all scorers with 19 points while adding three steals to her stat line. 
·       Berry scored 15 points and pulled down a team-high seven rebounds. 
·       Dourva went 2-for-3 from three-point range and totaled 14 points. 
·       McClard came within two boards of having a double-double, totaling eight rebounds and scoring 10 points.  
·      The Sunbirds outscored the Penguins 36-22 in the second half, limiting the Penguins to just eight points in the third quarter. 
 
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:  
·      The Sunbirds have won their last four games inside the Conlan Center. 
·      FPU has won their conference opener in each of the last three seasons. 
 
SOCIAL:  
·       Twitter - @fpusunbirds  
·       Instagram - @fpusunbirds   
·       Facebook - /FPUathletics  
 
UP NEXT:  
·       A quick turnaround will see the Sunbirds host the Penguins on Saturday inside the Special Events Center. Tipoff is slated for 6:00 p.m.  
 
SUNBIRD SOCIAL:
• Twitter - @fpusunbirds
• Instagram - @fpusunbirds 
• Facebook - /FPUathletics