FRESNO, Calif. – Saturday's contest between the Fresno Pacific men's basketball team and Biola featured two of the top four teams in the PacWest Conference standings. Jelani Watson-Gayle banked home a 3-pointer with 11 seconds left to put the Sunbirds up by one, but the Eagles got the basket they needed from Chris Rossow that proved to be the difference, as the visitors took it 69-68. 
   
QUOTABLE
"I thought our team deserved better than that outcome tonight. An elite first half defensively, before the tempo of the game gets changed. Our locker room is tough and together right now, and I have no doubt our veterans will dig in more in response."– head coach C.J. Haydock
 
 HOW IT HAPPENED

• Nate Kendricks capped an early 9-4 run with a 3-pointer to put the Sunbirds up early. 
• After the Eagles cut the Birds lead to three, an emphatic dunk from Darrin Person Jr. capped an 8-0 run that boosted the team to a 21-10 lead with 5:23 to go in the first half.
• At the end of the first half, FPU had another 5-0 run to go up 31-21 at halftime.
• Person Jr. opened the second half with another slam to put the Birds up by 12. 
• That dunk started a 15-8 run for the Sunbirds that featured 3-pointers A.J. Kirby, Sean Nealon-Lino, and Kendricks, as they went up 46-27 with just over 14 minutes to play. 
• The Eagles chipped away at the Sunbird lead from the free throw line, as they had 23 attempts in the second half and converted on 15. 
• A 3-pointer from BU tied the game at 61 with under 2:50 to play. 
• Ryan Abbott answered with a huge 3-pointer, thanks to an assist from Watson-Gayle.
• Biola earned a 67-65 lead with 27 seconds left. Watson-Gayle answered with a 3-pointer from the left wing that banked home, putting the Birds up by one with 11 seconds to play.
• Rossow hit a turnaround jumper for Biola that put them up by one with three seconds to play.
• Biola's Whitten Dominguez poked the ball away from Watson-Gayle on the inbound play, as the Eagles held for the win.

STATS FROM THE GAME

• Person Jr. was a rebound away from a double-double, as he led the Sunbirds with 16 points on 7-for-10 shooting while pulling down nine rebounds. 
• Nealon-Lino was also a rebound away from a double-double, as he finished with 10 points and nine boards. 
• The offense flowed through Kendricks, who finished with 11 points and a game-high seven assists. 
• Watson-Gayle and Kirby rounded out the five Sunbirds who scored in double-figures. 
• FPU made the most of their 11 chances from the free throw line, sinking nine. 

UP NEXT

• The Blue and Orange play four road games in seven days. The trip starts this Wednesday against Concordia at 7:30 p.m. 

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