IRVINE, Calif. — Fresno Pacific men's basketball put up a fight against conference opponent Concordia University Irvine with a final score of 89-61 on Thursday at CU Arena. The Sunbirds recorded 21 rebounds and tallied 23 bench points in the game.

Fresno Pacific opened the first half with a strong start, highlighted by Seth Brown's early layup and a 3-pointer assisted by Isaac Peralta, securing a 5-0 lead. Brown continued to contribute, adding another three-pointer at 16:10, keeping the Sunbirds slightly ahead at 10-4. However, Concordia University Irvine responded with a series of scores, overtaking FPU midway through the half. Despite the Sunbirds' efforts, including a three-pointer by Nick Davidson assisted by Amar Hot and free throws by Brown, they trailed 42-30 at the end of the first half.

The Sunbirds struggled to contain the opposition's momentum, conceding a significant run early in the second half. After trailing by a wide margin, Brandon Gibson Jr. provided a brief spark with a steal followed by a layup and subsequent free throws at 5:42, but defensive challenges persisted. Despite consistent scoring efforts, including a late three-pointer by Abram Potts at 1:06, Fresno Pacific was unable to close the gap significantly. In a last-ditch effort to score, Loukas Jones received a great pass from Gavyn Cirricione and made the final layup, ending the game 61-89.

Brown scored 21 points, including three 3-pointers, and added four rebounds. Gibson Jr. contributed 11 points and recorded two assists. Liam Switzer provided defensive support with two blocks while adding two points. Davidson was efficient, finishing with seven points on 2-for-2 shooting and converting two free throws.

The Sunbirds stand at 2-7 overall with a 1-2 record in PacWest play. 

NEXT UP: The 'Birds continue conference play in SoCal with their Saturday match against Vanguard at 4 pm.

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