Coming off a sixteen-day layoff, UC Santa Cruz gave Division II Fresno Pacific all they could handle, but a late second half run gave the visiting Sunbirds an 80-45 win.

It was a rare home game against a Division II opponent, and the first time UC Santa Cruz (8-8) had faced Fresno Pacific in over 20 years.
After Fresno Pacific ran out to a quick 7-0 lead, UC Santa Cruz responded quickly and took the lead 8-7 thanks to threes by Zino Okah and Zach Granberry and a layup from Treyson Keating. Another steady Fresno Pacific run gave them a 36-22 lead before newcomer Nelson Etuk's running layup cut the deficit to 36-24 at the half.
The Banana Slugs scored the first point of the second half on a free throw after a flagrant foul. However, the visitors answered with a 16-7 run to push their lead to 52-31. The teams matched baskets for a few minutes, but a Sunbird three-pointer started a 13-3 run that made it 74-42 with under 5:30 to go and extinguish UC Santa Cruz's chances.
Overall, Fresno Pacific shot 50% (31-62) from the field, including 47.6% from three. The Sunbirds also had a 47-33 advantage on the boards. Eric DeBrine led UC Santa Cruz with team-highs of eight points, eight rebounds and three steals in 17 minutes of action.
The Banana Slugs play their next five games on the road, starting Saturday at Colorado College.