COSTA MESA -- The Vanguard men's basketball team enters the holiday break with no coal in their stockings after an 87-76 victory over Fresno Pacific on Saturday.  The Lions learned from their loss to Chaminade, and while the Sunbirds trimmed the Vanguard lead down to four in the second half, VU did not let FPU get within a possession to secure the Pacific West Conference victory.  Vanguard improved to 6-3 overall and 2-1 in league play, while FPU dropped to 2-8, 1-3.
 
The Lions were gifted plenty of chances from the charity stripe, as VU went 31-for-40 from the line compared to FPU's 11-for-17 stat line.  This represented the 26-19 difference in fouls between the Sunbirds and the Blue and Gold.  VU also sipped some good coco and pocketed a 38-33 lead in rebounds while holding an 11-15 edge in turnovers.
 
Erik Howlin pulled the VU sleigh with a game-high 20 points (three off his career-best), including an 11-for-13 mark from the free-throw line. Aibigho Ujadughele carried the gifts down the chimney with a game-high eight rebounds and 18 points, with Bryson Metz next with 13 points.  Four Sunbirds got into double figures on the night.
 
What Happened?  Fresno Pacific had the advantage in the first four minutes of the contest, though Howlin and Ujadughele combined for the first eight VU points that swung the home side ahead 8-6.  The lead flipped between the two sides like someone rattling the gifts under the tree before Christmas morning over the next phase until FPU held a six-point lead (22-16) midway through the interval.  Layups by Metz, Tony Colley, and Dylan Swillis allowed Vanguard to level things at 22-all, with a triple by Carson Frawley skating VU back to a lead (28-25) with 7:02 left in the first.  While it certainly did not feel like it at the time, that three proved to be the last lead change of the night. 
 
FPU did not score over the next three minutes, allowing the Lions to climb to a 32-25 lead.  Ujadughele wrapped up five points in two minutes, and Howlin and Colley put in short-range efforts to put the Lions ahead 45-37 at halftime.  FPU shot 53.8% in the first half and VU had a 45.4% clip.
 
Howlin opened the second half with four points and a trey by Ujadughele skied the Lions to an 11-point advantage at 52-41.  A converted three by Devin Carson with 11:46 to go gifted the Blue and Gold its largest lead of the night at 63-48, but the Sunbirds did not want to remain on the naughty list.  The visitors went on an 11-2 stretch to cut the gap to six, with a jumper with 6:35 remaining trimming the lead to 65-61. 
 
Metz restarted the VU offense with two layups and a triple to get the bells ringing again inside the Freed Center, which forced the Sunbirds into fouling to try to stay close.  But the Vanguard squad did not leave the home fans out in the cold, as the advantage never dipped below seven points the rest of the way, with free throws from Colley closing the scoring on the 87-76 victory.
 
Why is it Important?  This is the first win in the PacWest over FPU for the Lions, who last beat the Sunbirds on January 21, 2012.  It is the first win at home over FPU since a December 5 victory in 2007, with the all-time series now at 39-27 in favor of Fresno Pacific.  The Lions stay in the top half of the standings (fifth) with the win and are one of four teams early on with only one defeat. 
  
What was Said?  "I'm really proud of our guys and the way they finished our last game in 2025," said Head Coach Rhett Soliday.  "Fresno Pacific is every bit as good as their pre-season billing, and they are just getting things figured out, since they are healthy for the first time.  I thought the difference in the game tonight was our ability to be the aggressor at both ends of the floor, both in neutralizing their transition attack and being on the attack ourselves downhill, getting to the free-throw line, and setting our D."
 
He continued, "After getting up by 15, FPU showed a ton of heart, fighting back into the game.  Our guys did a great job holding them off and finishing the game at the free-throw line.  I thought Boogie (Ujadughele) and Erik (Howlin) were really dynamic tonight at both ends of the floor, and Bryson hit some clutch shots that held off FPU."
 
 
What's Next?  After Christmas, the Lions return to the court on January 3 at Biola for a 7:30 p.m. tip.