FRESNO, Calif. -- It has been eight months since the 2019-20  NCAA Division II men's and women's basketball seasons were suddenly halted right as the regional tournaments were set to tip off, but the long awaited return of PacWest hoops will take place tomorrow in the form of a women's basketball exhibition for Fresno Pacific, which will visit former PacWest member California Baptist on Wednesday at 2 p.m.

PacWest competition happened for the first time since all activities were cancelled due to COVID-19 last week when Chaminade and Hawai`i Pacific competed against each other in a pair of dual golf events that both ended in ties. This is now the first basketball event as teams build up to the tip off of the conference season in January.

“There are a lot of people that have worked hard behind the scenes and spent a lot of time with protocols and safety to make this exhibition possible,” head coach Tim Beauregard said, “and we don’t take that for granted.”

The game will be played at CBU's Events Center which was the home of the 2018 PacWest Women's Basketball Championships. This will be the second time that the Sunbirds will visit the 5,050-seat arena, but the event will be closed to the public. Instead fans can follow the action through the live stream and live stats.

Fresno Pacific narrowly missed out on qualifying for the PacWest Championships that were hosted by CBU in 2018, but the Sunbirds have qualified for the tournament in both of the two years since then.

“It has been a long time for our players since their last intercollegiate competition, and for freshman it hasn’t been a normal start to their college experience,” Beauregard said. “I think there is a higher excitement for the first game of the season than usual. A couple months ago, we weren’t sure we would get to this point. We have an attitude of gratitude as we get to face a great program in a beautiful arena and do what we love to do.”

The Sunbirds concluded the 2019-20 season with a 17-13 record after advancing to the PacWest semifinals and return a now experienced group of veterans led by Jessica Malazarte, who joined the 1,000-point club last season. The Sunbirds are also scheduled to face Nevada on December 18 and could play as many as five exhibitions before the conference season starts.

Two weeks ago, the PacWest announced its intentions to begin conference play in January for the men’s and women’s basketball seasons. Fresno Pacific will be scheduled in the same pod as Dominican, Holy Names and Academy of Art.