ATHERTON, Calif. — Fresno Pacific men's basketball secured a narrow victory over Menlo with a final score of 70-66 on Saturday night. The Sunbirds' defense was pivotal, recording 13 steals and forcing 16 turnovers from Menlo. In the second half, the 'Birds made an incredible offensive run and widened the gap, but with thirty seconds left, Menlo tied it back up 66-66.

Fresno Pacific opened the game strongly, taking an early advantage with Seth Brown's tip-in following an offensive rebound at 19:26. The visitors maintained momentum through effective shooting and ball movement, with Isaac Peralta contributing a key 3-pointer at 16:19 to extend their lead. The first half closed with the Sunbirds leading 34–25, supported by a solid defensive effort that forced eight Menlo turnovers.

The Sunbirds surged ahead in the second half, opening with a fast-break dunk by Logan Kilbert at 18:55, assisted by Peralta, to establish an early advantage. Liam Switzer's layup and subsequent free throw at 14:14 extended the lead to 14 points. As the Oaks attempted to bridge the gap, Hugo Gonzalez Garcia sank a three pointer at the shot clock buzzer to stop their momentum. Brandon Gibson Jr and Amar Hot had a couple of runs in the paint, pushing the score ahead 57-44.

Menlo countered with a late push, tying the game at 66 with a 3-pointer at 00:34. However, Switzer's crucial tip-in with 17 seconds left reclaimed the lead for the Sunbirds, 68-66. Brown sealed the 70-66 victory with two free throws, after the Oaks fouled the Sunbirds hoping to regain possesion of the ball and comeback from the four point deficit. An incredible steal by Nick Davidson and a bad throw-in from back court by Menlo was stolen as the buzzer sounded, ending the match 70-66..

Offensively, Brown scored 15 points while shooting 5-for-10 from the field and adding five rebounds. Switzer matched him with a season-high 15 points, converting 7 of 9 field goal attempts and collecting six rebounds. The senior forward had season-highs in several categories, including points, field goals made, and field goal attempts. Nick Davidson added 11 points with a season-high four steals and three assists. Peralta recorded 10 points and contributed five rebounds along with four assists.

The Sunbirds are now 8-10 overall and 7-5 in PacWest play. The men's team currently ranks fifth in the PacWest Conference.

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