The Sunbirds had a stellar first half in the 98-88 win over #1 Robert Morris (Ill.).
LAS VEGAS, NV. - It was Friday the 13th, which in the end turned out to be a bad omen for the #1 ranked Robert Morris basketball team who faced a highly motivated and talented FPU squad. The #3 Sunbirds brought the Eagles' worst nightmares to fruition Friday evening after leading RMU by as much as 30 points in the first half, and eventually defeated the NAIA's top dog 98-88 in the Las Vegas Shootout Tournament.
FPU's
Todd Brown led the way for the Sunbirds in scoring with a game high 30 points. The senior forward was 9-16 from the field, 4-7 from behind the arc, and 8-9 from the line while grabbing a team high 8 rebounds.
Senior guard
Alex Davenport, and senior centers
RouSean Cromwell and
Craig Ash also put up double-digits for FPU. Davenport scored 16 points, Cromwell had 14, and Ash netted 10, respectively.
The Sunbirds started the game firing on all cylinders and shot 57.1% (20-35) from the field (first half) while establishing a 47-17 lead with 5:12 left to play in the first period.
The Eagles battled back in the second half to tie the game at 67 apiece with 9:39 left to play, but Fresno Pacific would not be denied. The Sunbirds instead finished the game strong to secure the 10 point win.
With the win, the Sunbirds improve to 4-0 and continue tournament play tomorrow (11/14) against another top 25 opponent in #9 Westminster. Tip-off is scheduled for 5pm.