FRESNO, Calif. - Fresno Pacific men's basketball opened the 2026-27 season with a thrilling, back-and-forth exhibition matchup against Division I opponent Fresno State, battling the Bulldogs in a back-and-forth contest before falling 88-79. The first half featured 11 lead changes and five ties, with the Sunbirds holding a lead as large as four points before ending the half trailing by just three, 41-38.
The Sunbirds showcased several new faces in their exhibition matchup, led by new head coach Daniel Dyck. His return to Fresno Pacific marked a homecoming, as Dyck began his coaching career on the Sunbirds' sidelines as an assistant under former head coach C.J. Haydock.
"It was good to play against a different level of size and athleticism than we usually see," said Dyck. "We've got a lot of guys who are really good players. Our team did a great job at playing confidently and letting it rip."
Pablo Soumare, the transfer from CSU San Bernardino, won the opening tip-off and found Nick Davidson, who knocked down the first jump shot of the season. Soumare added points in the paint before Jaden Geron connected from beyond the arc for his first basket as a Sunbird, making it 11-9.
Geron followed with a block on the defensive end before finding Hugo Gonzalez Garcia for a driving layup that gave FPU its second lead at 12-11. Davidson then set up Geron for another three-pointer, and Geron added a steal on the next possession. Fresno State responded to regain the lead, but Brandon Gibson Jr. kept the Sunbirds within reach by grabbing his own rebound and converting for a 17-16 advantage.
The teams continued trading baskets. Gibson Jr. found Geron on the wing for another three that tied the game at 20, and the Sunbirds stayed within striking distance as the score remained even at 22 for nearly two minutes. The Bulldogs eventually created some separation, moving ahead 28-23, but Logan Kilbert converted both free throws to cut the deficit to three.
Davidson added an unforgettable driving layup before Gonzalez Garcia and Loukas Jones connected from long range to bring FPU within one, 33-32. The Bulldogs answered in the paint to take a 37-33 lead, but Bryce Iwuoha came up with a block and the Sunbirds forced a shot-clock violation. Davidson followed with a three-pointer, and Soumare and Gibson Jr. combined for a layup to put FPU back in front, 38-37. Fresno State closed the half with four free throws to take a 41-38 advantage into the break.
FPU opened the second half with an incredible blocked three-point attempt before Jones connected from downtown to pull FPU within two. The Bulldogs answered with a pair of three-pointers, but Jones matched them from beyond the arc to make it 49-44. Davidson and Soumare connected on a play under the basket, and back-to-back three-pointers from Gonzalez Garcia and Geron brought the Sunbirds even at 52.
With 11 minutes remaining, Gonzalez Garcia knocked down another three to tie the game at 60. Fresno State began to pull away, building a 69-62 lead before Davidson converted an and-1 opportunity to bring FPU within four. The Bulldogs found their rhythm and later stretched their biggest advantage to 10 at 75-65. Gonzalez Garcia and Gibson Jr. helped the Sunbirds chip away, bringing the score to 79-71. FPU continued to fight in the closing minute, with Davidson hitting a three-pointer from the top of the arc before Geron added another basket to make it 86-79. In the end, Fresno State converted two final free throws to secure the 88-79 victory in a highly-entertaining contest.
While the game was an exhibition for the Sunbirds, it was Fresno State's regular season opener. The Bulldogs are 1-0 on the season following the victory over their Division II neighbors, while the Birds' first game that counts isn't until next week against Biola. Despite the exhibition loss, it was the Sunbirds who stole the spotlight in the Save Mart Center ahead of their CCAA debut and the effort displayed on the court was an encouraging sign of what could come during year one of Daniel Dyck's tenure leading the program.
"We have to clean some things up, but I'm proud of the way we competed today," Dyck added. "You can expect to see some high-flying offense, a little better defense, and a group that's playing for each other and putting out a product fairly similar to this."
Davidson scored 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting and recorded five assists. Gibson Jr. finished with 16 points, five rebounds and two steals while converting eight free throws. Geron posted 15 points with five 3-pointers and added three rebounds.
NEXT UP: Fresno Pacific heads down to SoCal to open the regular season against former PacWest conference opponent, Biola University, in a non-conference clash on Monday, November 9th at 7:30pm.Â
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