FRESNO, Calif. -- Vanguard could not claw their way back in an 80-75 defeat against Fresno Pacific at the Special Events Center on Saturday night. VU only trailed by three at the half, but FPU's 16-5 run late in the second period put them up by 14 with 1:36 to play. Though the Lions ran up the scoreboard with 15 points in the final 1:20 of game time, the run came too late, and FPU's free throw cushion held the keys to victory in the conference matchup.

Vanguard ends a tough week of Pacific West Conference action, falling to 11-7 overall and 5-7 in the PacWest. The Sunbirds rise to 8-13 overall, 5-8 in league play,  and mark their eighth win out of the last ten matchups against VU.

 Aibigho Ujadughele continued his impressive run for the Blue and Gold, dropping 18 points on 4-for-7 from the field. He also went 90% from the free throw line, flushing nine of his season-high 10 attempts.

Leonard Turner was efficient in his 18-point, five-rebound performance, as the he went 5-of-10 from the floor and made at least three triples (3-for-5) for the fifth time this season.

The starting VU backcourt combined for 15 points with Anthony Tello scoring eight and Bryson Metz chipping in seven. The bench production saw input from Carson Frawley and Micah Swartz. Frawley hit two three-pointers to finish with six points and Swartz ended the night with five. Fresno Pacific's Harrison Pennsi had a season-high 20 points and nine rebounds on 8-10 shooting to lead all scorers.

The Lions shot 37.9% (22-58) from the field but managed to hit 42% (11-26) of their three-pointers. VU fought with foul trouble all night, with Ujadughele and Tello fouling out. VU also grabbed a season-low 25 rebounds, as the Sunbirds won the rebound battle 39-25. Both teams combined for 58 free throws in the contest, with Vanguard going 20-for-26 (76.9%) and FPU 25-for-32 (78.1%).

What Happened? VU led for most of the first-half until the 7:07 mark, as a Sunbird three put the hosts up 21-20. Devin Carson hit a three-pointer amid the Lion response and Turner split a pair at the line to hoist the Lions up 26-24. Jackson Larsen, who ended the evening with a team-high three assists, hit Metz in the pocket to put three more on the board for VU. However, the Blue and Gold went scoreless for the final 3:26 and FPU mounted an 8-3 run to lead at the break.  VU made six three-pointers (6-of-15) in the first half to FPU's two (2-11). However, Vanguard shot just 28% (7-25) overall.

Fresno Pacific took 23 of their 32 free throws in the second half and took their first of the second frame inside two minutes. Turner's triple 14 seconds later was the first VU bucket of the interval and Pape Cisse scored soon thereafter with a putback finish to trim the lead to five (41-36 FPU). Where Vanguard led consistently in the first half, the Sunbird lead was settled in the second period, where FPU shot 63.6% from the field. The Lions came close to shifting the momentum with a Frawley three-pointer to close an 8-2 VU push and make it a one-possession game (58-55 FPU) with 7:33 to go.

The Sunbirds soared back on a 16-5 run that was punctuated by a Pennisi dunk to notch the largest lead of the night for FPU at 14 (74-60) with 1:36 remaining. Ujadughele scored seven points in under a minute to make the dying moments unsettling for Fresno Pacific. The Lions also forced four of the 11 second-half FPU turnovers in the final minute of action to earn an ounce of hope. Chris Chiles and Metz had the last Lion points of the night to make it a three-point game (78-75) but the flood of Fresno free throws sank the ship and handed the Lions their third loss in a row.

What's Next? The Blue and Gold take on Concordia on Wednesday, January 29. The opening tip inside the Freed is at 7:30 pm and it is a ROAR game.  All students get free rally towels and all fans are encouraged to arrive for both games and make the Freed Center loud on Wednesday!