BELMONT, Calif. - The FPU men's basketball team opened PacWest Conference action on Friday night, holding off a late push from Academy of Art to pick up an 83-77 victory. Senior A.J. Kirby hauled in a career-high 11 rebounds, while four Sunbirds scored in double-figures. 
 
INSIDE THE MATCHUP:   

• Final: FPU 83, ART U 77 
• Records: FPU (1-3, 1-0 PacWest), ART U (1-2, 1-2 PacWest) 
• Location: Walter Gleason Gymnasium | Belmont, Calif.    

QUOTABLE:    

• "We saw a really strong defensive effort from our guys tonight, and though we were a little bit sloppy on offense, we made enough shots to get it done. I'm really impressed with the senior leadership A.J. showed with his defensive and rebounding effort, and it was just a stellar performance from him all around. We managed to get a win on the road, and now we must honor that effort with even more toughness and togetherness in about 20 hours." 

 
HOW IT HAPPENED:   

• The Urban Knights controlled the opening tip, but the Sunbirds started the night on a 6-0 run behind buckets from Aamondae Coleman and Adrian Antunez.  
• ART U stayed within striking distance for the bulk of the first half, but the Blue and Orange carried a 35-27 lead into the locker room at the intermission.  
• Josh Hill pulled the home team within four early in the second half, but back to back scores from Spencer Heimerdinger quickly extended the FPU lead back to nine.  
• The Sunbirds would go up by as many as 14, only to see Hill make it a one-score game with :20 left to play.  
• ART U was forced to play the foul game down the stretch, and FPU was able to escape the Bay with a league victory.  

STATS FROM THE GAME:   

• Antunez led the 'Birds in scoring with 15 points, while Coleman finished on his heels with 15.  
• Garrett Cook and Nate Kendricks added 11 and 10 respectively, while Kirby's dominant night on the glass gave FPU a slight 39-38 edge in total boards.  
• For the Urban Knights, Hill rounded out a double-double with 13 points and a game-high 17 rebounds.  
• Five different Sunbirds connected from behind the arc, as the Blue and Orange set a new season-best in triples with nine.  

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:   

• Fresno Pacific has now won their conference opener in back-to-back seasons, with both games coming against Academy of Art.  
• In seven career games against the Urban Knights, Coleman has averaged 17 points and six boards.  

UP NEXT:   

• The Sunbirds and Urban Knights will have a quick turnaround, as the two teams will meet in Fresno on Saturday evening. Tip-off from the Special Events Center is slated for 7:00 p.m.   

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