IRVINE, Calif. – Taking a trip down to SoCal, the Fresno Pacific women's basketball team met resistance against conference opponent Concordia on the Thursday afternoon. Despite a late surge in the second half, the Sunbirds fell to the Golden Eagles, 43-75.

"Tonight was a valuable opportunity for our young team to learn and grow," said head coach Tim Beauregard. "Concordia played extremely well and imposed their will from the opening tip off."

In the first quarter, Ashley Aughterson was the first on the board for FPU. With five minutes down, Concordia held off the Sunbirds offensive attempts, keeping them at a 2-10 deficit. The Sunbirds maneuvered up the court, swinging the ball around until Aughterson was fouled, giving her a chance to sink one of her free throws. Additional fouls made by the Golden Eagles gave Kira Wilmurt and Grace Brown a chance at the line, bumping the score 5-17. Despite a late steal by Jordyn Ybarra, the Golden Eagles remained ahead at the end of the first.

The Sunbirds were prepared for the Golden Eagles in the second quarter. Freshman Sienna Evans got things rolling for FPU with two made free throws to close the gap. Although the CUI responded with a shot from downtown, the Sunbirds were relentless with their rebounds, keeping the ball in their possession. An impressive reach by Angela Whitfield saved the ball from going out and allowed Aughterson to make her second layup of the match. Making her way back up the court, Whitfield pushed past the defense and captured her own layup, making it 11-22. It didn't take long before Ybarra and Nina Wisniewski forced their way to the net and scored two more for the Blue and Orange. Evans was motivated and captured the 17^th point for the Blue and Orange. Despite the 'Birds' attempts to close the gap, the Golden Eagles pushed back against the visiting team's offensive strategies. Ybarra's second steal was the shift in momentum FPU needed, but the half ended with CUI ahead 17-32.

"Learning how to prepare your mind, body, and spirit for competition, especially on the road, is a critical step in a team's maturation. We simply did not bring the necessary competitive spirit to start the game. That said, we will continue to trust the process and learn from every opportunity as we relentlessly chase a better version of ourselves."

Coming out of the half, Evans knocked a three-pointer right out the gate, boosting FPU 20-34. It became a party from downtown as Aaliyah Seuell netted another three-pointer at the 5:03 mark. Despite CUI's lead, it was a driving layup right down the center by Wilmurt that made it 25-45. With the clock winding down, the quarter ended 28-52.

In their final stand against CUI, Alexa Perryman and Wilmurt came in clutch with two jumpers in the paint. Whitfield managed a three-pointer at 6:58, narrowing the gap slightly, but CUI maintained a strong offensive presence, scoring consistently throughout the quarter. The Sunbirds did find moments to respond, including a significant three-pointer by Mason Long at 1:37, assisted by Perryman, bringing their score to 43. The Golden Eagles remained ahead until games end, 43-75.

"One of our greatest strengths is our ability to walk into the locker room after a tough loss and immediately support one another. This group wants to grow together, doesn't flinch, and is willing to lean in for each other when things are hard. We accept the challenge of bouncing back quickly and fully expect a better, start-to-finish effort Saturday against a very talented Vanguard team."

Offensively, Whitfield recorded a double-double, finishing with 10 rebounds and eight points, while also blocking two shots. Brown contributed six rebounds, including four on the offensive end, and added three points. Aughterson posted five points and tallied one block, collecting four total rebounds. Ybarra added six rebounds and three points, demonstrating effectiveness on the boards.

Fresno Pacific stands at 3-5 overall and 0-3 in PacWest play.

NEXT UP: The 'Birds continue conference play in SoCal with their Saturday match against Vanguard at 2 pm.

SUNBIRD SOCIAL 

• X - @fpusunbirds 
• Instagram - @fpusunbirds 
• Facebook - /FPUsunbirds 

 

---