NAIA DISTRICT 3 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL : Fresno Pacific Beats Buzzer, Christ College

IRVINE — Christ College Irvine’s recent dominance of Fresno Pacific ended in an instant Thursday when Fresno forward Andrea Angulo scored at the buzzer to give the Sunbirds a 46-44 victory in the championship game of the NAIA District 3 women’s basketball playoffs at CCI.

Irvine had beaten the Sunbirds the last five times the two teams had played, including three times this season, but the top-seeded Eagles couldn’t overcome Fresno this time.

With the victory, Fresno (21-7) received the district’s automatic berth to the NAIA Division I national tournament March 3-9 in Jackson, Tenn.

Christ College Irvine (25-5), ranked 24th in the nation, also will advance to the national tournament. The Eagles received after the game one of 12 invitations for at-large teams.

With 3 minutes 29 seconds left, CCI took a 42-39 lead on a three-point basket by point guard Stacy Kirch. But after several errant shots by the Eagles, Fresno point guard Tealia Richardson tied the score with a three-pointer of her own and Dana Coats, who scored 15 points, made two free throws to put Fresno ahead with 43 seconds left.

Gitte Mejer, The Eagles’ 6-foot-2 center and the district and conference player of the year, had sent Coats to the line by committing her fifth foul.

With 25 second left, Irvine tied the score on a 12-foot jumper by Jennifer Zylstra, but Fresno had the last shot. Angulo got the ball about 12 feet from the basket, made several fakes, took one dribble and put in a layup moments before the buzzer.

Irvine led most of the game, but the Eagles kept only a shaky grip on their lead, largely because Mejer was in foul trouble. Mejer, who got her fourth foul with 8:25 left, scored 12 points, seven below her average. But the Eagles also shot poorly (38% from the field) and made 23 turnovers. Stacey Giem scored a game-high 16 points, including four three-pointers, for the Eagles.