SAN DIEGO, Calif. – In the third game of the GNAC/PacWest Challenge, Western Oregon University's men's basketball team hit eight straight free throws in the final two minutes to go along with timely defense in a 69-68 victory over Fresno Pacific University Saturday inside Golden Gymnasium.

The Wolves (1-1) were led offensively by Devon Alexander and Andy Avgi with 18 points each, while Marwan Sarhan added nine points off WOU's bench. On the boards, Julian Nichols pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds, while Avgi registered his first double-double of the season grabbing 10 boards to go along with his 18 points. Nichols also scored seven points and handed out a team-high three assists for Western Oregon.

Fresno Pacific (1-1) had four players score in double figures led by 15 points each by Madison Higgins and Jeff Amazan, while Roger Paul and Bobby Barnes added 11 points each. Trevon Clayton pulled down a team-high nine rebounds for the Sunbirds, while also handing out a game-high five assists.

In the opening nine minutes, Fresno Pacific would push its lead to six points (17-11) on three-pointer by Amazan with 11:11 on the clock. Over the next three-plus minutes, Western Oregon used a 12-2 run to pull ahead by four points (23-19) on a three-pointer by Jordan Wiley with just under eight minutes left. Following a lay-in by Bobby Barnes with 6:48 left that put Fresno Pacific ahead 24-23, Western Oregon grabbed the lead and pushed its advantage to five points (34-29) on a jumper by Sarhan with 2:57 left. Over the final three minutes, Fresno Pacific used a 9-3 run en route to grabbing a one-point lead (38-37) at halftime.

The second half would be a back-and-forth battle with neither team earning more than a four-point lead, as Fresno Pacific grabbed a 63-61 lead on a Amazan three-pointer with just over three minutes remaining. Avgi would hit back-to-back free throws to tie the game for the ninth and final time, as Western Oregon began its perfect free throw shooting down the stretch. Four straight free throws by Alexander would put the Wolves ahead 67-63 before FPU's Paul knocked down a pair of free throws to pull the Sunbirds within two points (67-65) with 15 seconds on the clock. Avgi would cap the Wolves' scoring with two more free throws with three seconds left that put WOU ahead by four once again (69-65) before Paul hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer for the final score of 69-68 in favor of Western Oregon.

As a team, Western Oregon combined to shoot 24-for-63 (38.1%) from the field to go along with a 7-for-23 (30.4%) showing from beyond the three-point line and a 14-for-19 (73.7%) performance at the free throw line. On the other hand, Fresno Pacific was a combined 23-for-62 (37.1%) from the field, 15-for-31 (48.4%) from long distance, and 7-of-10 (70.0%) at the charity stripe.

Western Oregon will return to the hardwood on Friday, November 21, against Azusa Pacific University in the second game of the 2014 WOU/Double Tree by Hilton D2 Shootout beginning at 7 p.m. inside the New PE Building.