LA MIRADA, Calif. — Fresno Pacific men's basketball delivered a true comeback, taking the lead right from under the Eagles' noses and securing a 70-62 victory on Thursday night at Chase Gym. The Sunbirds capitalized on their perimeter shooting, hitting an astounding 11 three-pointers, to edge past Biola University. With only a minute remaining, FPU relinquished Biola's small lead with a crucial three-pointer, steal, and dunk to seal the deal.
"Road wins are hard to come by in this league, and proud of our resolve and execution on our last couple minutes." Head coach
C.J. Haydock mentioned, "
Nick Davidson got us going early offensively, and huge plays from
Seth Brown,
Gabriel Quiette, and
Brandon Gibson Jr. in the clutch brought us home. We've got a lot of growth available to us, and I hope we will lean maximizing how much we can get better."
Although Biola had an initial double-digit lead over Fresno Pacific, the Sunbirds came to play, hitting eight 3-pointers in the first half. The 'Birds worked to close the gap, tying it up 21-21 with a deep shot from downtown by
Nick Davidson at nine minutes. Davidson was instrumental, sinking several key shots throughout the course of the game. With contributions from
Hugo Gonzalez Garcia and Gibson Jr., the Sunbirds changed the momentum in the seven-minute stretch, taking their first lead in the half.
A great screen by fellow Sunbird
Harrison Pennisi gave Davidson the chance to sink another 3-pointer for the 'Birds making it 24-23, then another barely a minute later, boosting them to 27-23. Sharing the magic, Davidson sent a pass over to freshman
Loukas Jones who captured his first three-pointer of the match, sending the 'Birds to a two-point lead over the Eagles. The Sunbirds' bench contributed 12 points, helping them maintain momentum. Despite Biola's efforts to keep pace, FPU held a 40–33 advantage at the end of the half.
The Sunbirds began the second half with momentum, as
Logan Kilbert hit a 3-pointer at 19:12 to extend their lead. Biola's efforts to close the gap never wavered, but Fresno Pacific maintained their advantage with consistent plays for a great portion of the last twenty minutes. Late in the half,
Isaac Peralta's 3-pointer at 3:52 proved pivotal in keeping the lead. However, the Eagles put their head to the grindstone, making critical defensive plays and scoring to reclaim the lead, 60-62.
Having seen this same situation play out a couple times this season, the 'Birds were quick to flip the script and shift it back into their favor.
Seth Brown's 3-pointer at 0:49 was what the 'Birds needed.
Brandon Gibson Jr.'s followed the impressive play with a key steal and subsequent dunk at 0:28 which helped solidify Fresno Pacific's position, sealing the win for the 'Birds. The half concluded with Fresno Pacific outscoring Biola 30-29, ending the game with a final score of 70-62.
Seth Brown scored 16 points, including four 3-pointers, and added two assists. Davidson led the team with 18 points, converting three 3-pointers and collecting three rebounds. Gibson Jr. finished with 14 points and five rebounds, while Peralta added seven points and recorded six rebounds.
The Sunbirds now hold a 9-10 overall record and an 8-5 mark in PacWest play.
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