GOLDEN, Colo. – The Fresno Pacific men's basketball team saw its' season come to a close on Friday evening, falling 76-74 to three-seed Biola in the first round of the NCAA West Regional.
Aamondae Coleman led all scorers with 26 points and finished a rebound shy of a double-double to highlight the night for the Blue and Orange.
QUOTABLE:
- "Nobody took a tougher path to get here. We had cancellations, we looked out for the PacWest, we played six games in the last two weeks, and our guys just kept fighting. The things we've overcome and the challenges we've faced speak to what we always envisioned for this group. At the last media, we were down eight, and Aamondae Coleman does what Aamondae Coleman does – carries us, makes plays, gets to the line, gets to the rim. In the last minute, we got a great three and a great shot at the rim, and neither of them went. We got the look we wanted on the last play but didn't get the call we wanted, but there's a lot to be proud of in our locker room. I'm really proud of the way our guys have galvanized our community and the way our community has gotten behind us. There are so many people who made this run possible. We have a lot of heartbroken guys tonight, but they should be holding their heads high and be proud of the way they have represented us." – head coach C.J. Haydock
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Behind a pair of Spencer Heimerdinger triples and an and-one play from Nate Kendricks, the Sunbirds were able to jump out to a 13-4 run.
- Biola didn't flinch, answering with a 15-4 run of their own to take their first lead of the night.
- The Blue and Orange connected on 48% from the floor in the first half but still found themselves on the wrong end of a five-point game after a turnover turned into Eagle points just before the first half ended.
- The Eagles looked poised to pull away, going in front by as many as 10 with just over eight minutes to play, but FPU came away with multiple key defensive stops to claw back into the game.
- Coleman jammed home an easy fast break dunk with 1:45 remaining to bring the Sunbirds within a point.
- Biola earned a trip to the free throw line, where the Eagles again made it a two point edge with just 22 ticks left on the clock.
- FPU was unable to connect on the game-tying jumper, and Biola came away with the rebound, forcing the 'Birds to foul.
- The Eagles missed both free throws at their end, and after Heimerdinger collected the board, the Sunbirds called a timeout.
- The inbound pass was reviewed at length and ruled that there was no Biola foul on FPU's ensuing inbound pass, pushing the game to its' final horn and the Eagles into the next round.
STATS FROM THE GAME:
- Kendricks and Adrian Antunez followed Coleman's lead with 18 and 11 points respectively.
- Coleman and A.J. Kirby combined for 17 rebounds.
- Biola won the turnover battle 14-9 while outboarding the Sunbirds 41-35.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:
- FPU finishes the season with an 8-2 record against NCAA Division II opponents.
- Friday's loss snapped a seven-game win streak for the Sunbirds.
- The Regional matchup between FPU and Biola was the first NCAA Postseason appearance for both teams.
SOCIAL:
#TeamFPU
