FRESNO, Calif. — In the second match of PacWest play, Fresno Pacific women's basketball fell to Point Loma 67-56, at the Special Events Center, despite freshman Sienna Evans incredible performance on the court.

"I thought tonight was a great display of our young team's commitment and dedication to each other," said head coach Tim Beauregard. "On a quick turnaround, and against one of the best teams in our conference, we put together a very solid performance. After being down seven in the first quarter, we played the rest of the game to only a four-point deficit. We battled on the glass, showed a high level of fight and grit throughout the entire second half, and refused to fold."

Fresno Pacific opened the game with a steady performance, highlighted by Nina Wisniewski's three-pointer at 7:34, which gave them a brief lead. Despite shooting struggles, they managed to stay competitive through consistent free-throw shooting, with Kira Wilmurt converting two crucial free throws at 5:25 to even the score at 9-9. However, Point Loma capitalized on offensive rebounds and turnovers, ending the quarter with a 19-12 lead.

The Sunbirds narrowed the gap in the second quarter with key contributions from Evans, who scored a layup at 6:15 followed by a three-pointer at 5:23. Despite early turnovers, the team showed resilience with Evans converting both free throws at 3:21 to keep the game competitive. Point Loma maintained a slight edge, outscoring the Sunbirds 13–11 in the quarter, and led 32–23 at halftime.

Coming out of the half, Evans sparked the Sunbirds' offense with key plays, including a layup at 8:54 and a three-pointer at 6:16, keeping the home team within striking distance. Aaliyah Seuell added a crucial three-pointer at 4:43, assisted by Alexa Perryman, which narrowed the gap temporarily. Despite their efforts, the Sunbirds trailed Point Loma 48-38 at the end of the third quarter.

In the fourth quarter, the Blue and Orange attempted to regain momentum with a three-pointer by the Fresno native Evans at 9:12, assisted by senior Angela Whitfield, bringing the score to 50-41. Despite a strong effort in the paint, the Sea Lions maintained their lead with consistent scoring. Perryman added to the 'Birds' tally with a layup and a free throw at 6:52, narrowing the gap slightly to 59-46. However, Point Loma capitalized on fast breaks and turnovers to extend their lead. In the closing moments, Evans hit another three-pointer at 00:34, but the Sunbirds were unable to close the deficit. The game ended with the Sea Lions securing a narrow quarter win, 19-18, and the final score of 67-56.

"These games are crucial for our younger players and give them the exact reps they need to continue growing through what they go through. A big part of why our future is so bright is the mentality and maturity of players like Sienna. For a freshman to go for 29 and stay aggressive all night was incredibly impressive and genuinely fun to watch."

True Freshman Evans led the team with 29 points, converting all six free throw attempts and making five three-pointers. 18 of the 29 points came in the second half surge. Wilmurt added nine points and collected four offensive rebounds. Perryman contributed with four assists and five total rebounds. Seuell scored three points, including one 3-pointer, on her lone field goal attempt.

Fresno Pacific holds a 3-4 overall record and is 0-2 in PacWest play, whereas Point Loma is 6-2 overall and 2-0 in conference competition.

"We now look forward to an extremely important week and a half of practices before we close out this year with our final two conference games before Christmas. The proof of our growth has been on full display throughout this past month, and we're excited for what's next. No flinch as we stay steady on our dream chase."

NEXT UP: The 'Birds are on the road to SoCal for the matchups against Concordia University Irvine and Vanguard. The first match kicks off on Thursday, Dec. 18 at 3 pm and the second follows that Saturday, Dec. 20 at 2 pm.

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