FRESNO, Calif. - On a night honoring one of our toughest Sunbirds, Tough Like Tristen's very own Tristen Graham, the Fresno Pacific Sunbirds hung tough to beat the Hawai'i Pacific Sharks 65-62 in the regular season home finale at the Special Events Center.  The FPU men have now won seven of their past eight games to find themselves sitting in fifth place in the conference standings. The win doesn't yet clinch a berth into the PacWest Championships for the 'Birds, but it does keeps them in the driver's seat to seal their place next week at the end of the regular season.

"Just another really resilient, mature night of steady leadership from our four seniors," FPU head coach C.J. Haydock said after the final whistle. "Their resilience, the standard they've set with our approach, and their will has been incredible to watch the last seven weeks."

After the Sunbird women opened the night with a win over the visiting Sharks, the men's portion began by recognizing those seniors playing in their last game ever on the Special Events Center floor: Ryan Abbott, Ryas Vang, Jonah Geron, and Cooper Sheldon.  The team then honored Tristen and his family at center court to commemorate a successful day of support on campus for the Central California Blood Center and Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

The game opened with both teams playing at a high tempo, exchanging baskets early. Fresno Pacific found success from beyond the arc, hitting five three-pointers in the first half of the period. Abbott knocked down an early triple, while Seth Brown and reigning PacWest player of the week Isaac Peralta added key buckets to give the Sunbirds a slight edge.

Hawaii Pacific responded inside, establishing dominance in the paint, throwing down an emphatic dunk, sparking momentum for the Sharks. However, Fresno Pacific's defense forced several turnovers, with Peralta picking up a steal and converting it into an easy layup.

In the remainder of the first half, Fresno Pacific continued to rely on perimeter shooting, with seniors Vang and Abbott each sinking key three-pointers. Sheldon provided valuable minutes, finishing a tough layup inside.  

"Ryas Vang specifically had an unbelievable night impacting the game," said Haydock. "Made super well-timed threes while also being a disruptive force on defense."

Hawaii Pacific answered by knocking down two three-pointers to keep the game close. However, turnovers continued to hurt the Sharks, as Fresno Pacific capitalized with a fast-break bucket from Liam Switzer. The 'Birds defensive adjustments limited Hawaii Pacific's effectiveness from deep, holding them to just 4-for-12 from three-point range in the quarter.

At halftime, Fresno Pacific held the lead, going into the half up 31-30 after a pair of clutch free throws from Peralta.

Coming out of the half, Fresno Pacific found its rhythm offensively. Peralta led the charge, scoring 10 of his 20 points in the second half, showcasing his ability to attack the basket and finish through contact gave the Sunbirds a much-needed offensive spark.

Hawaii Pacific attempted to keep pace, trying to establish dominance inside. However, Abbott and Brown hit back-to-back three-pointers to extend the 'Birds lead. The Sunbirds also grabbed crucial rebounds to prevent second-chance opportunities for the Sharks.

With the game on the line, both teams turned up the defensive intensity. Hawaii Pacific made a late push, cutting the lead to just two points after a clutch three-pointer. However, Brown responded with a dagger three of his own to keep the Sunbirds ahead.

"I thought our response at halftime from our team spoke to our maturity," the head coach added. "[Peralta] makes some adjustments we ask him to make and executes them really well. Our seniors really refocus us and improve our execution on both sides of the ball. Gabriel Quiette had an elite second half performance shutting down one of the most dynamic scorers in the league."

In the final minute, Hawaii Pacific had a chance to tie the game, but the Sharks missed a contested three. Fresno Pacific secured the rebound, and Peralta calmly sank two free throws to ice the game.

A half court heave from the 'Sharks almost went down, but the final buzzer sounded, allowing Fresno Pacific to hold on for a thrilling 65-62 victory.

'It's fitting that we have that second half leadership from our seniors, as I'm just tremendously proud of them and grateful for them," said Haydock. "It's program-changing, culture-building behaviors, and it's them fighting for a legacy that's bigger than themselves."

"We had a great crowd last night, and that's because of who these guys are, on and off the floor."


UP NEXT

Fresno Pacific will take a week off before heading up to Rocklin looking to make it eight wins from nine and secure their postseason tournament ticket as they take on the Jessup Warriors in the final game of regular season play on Saturday, March 1st at 2pm.  The game will stream live on the PacWest Network.

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