Nov. 22, 2009

Box Score

Stockton, Calif. - Playing their third West Coast Conference opponent of the season, the Tigers dominated the visiting Santa Clara Broncos at the Alex G. Spanos Center on Sunday, November 22, winning 84-57 in front of 2,394 fans. The victory for the Tigers moved them to 3-0 on the year while the Broncos fell to 2-2 overall.

After a sluggish start in which the team's combined to shoot 2-for-13 in the first five minutes, Santa Clara pulled ahead 11-8 at the 11 minute mark. The Tigers bounced right back with a 13-1 run sparked by four points from junior Sam Willard (Pierre, S.D.) and a three-pointer from senior Lavar Neufville (Fairfield, Calif.) to take a 21-12 lead with 4:18 to play in the first half. After the Broncos cut the lead to 24-19, the Tigers finished the half with three three-pointers in the final 1:38, including two from junior Demetrece Young (Oklahoma City, Okla.). Pacific held a 33-23 halftime advantage.

The Tigers pulled ahead by 15 (40-25) with 18:49 to play in the game after a 7-2 run to start the second half capped by a Neufville three-pointer. Santa Clara responded with a 12-3 run over the next five minutes, to cut the Tiger lead back to six (43-37). Over the next five minutes, Pacific used a 21-5 run to seize control of the contest with a 64-42 lead with 8:43 to go. Junior Pat Eveland (San Diego, Calif.) scored eight points in the run, including a pair of three-pointers, while junior Terrell Smith (Federal Way, Wash.) pitched in with seven points. Pacific's lead would not fall below 17 the rest of the way as the Tigers led by as many as 29 points.

After starting the game 0-for-6 from three-point range, the Tigers hit 12 of their final 13 attempts to finish 63.2 percent from behind the arc. The Tigers finished with a 55.6 percent mark from the field, shooting 77.3 percent in the second half. Pacific held a 40-28 rebounding advantage, getting a career-high 13 boards from Willard. He added 15 points for his second career double-double. Smith and Young each scored 16 points to lead the Tigers, while Eveland added 13 points. Young and Eveland's point totals were career highs. Kevin Foster led the Broncos with 22 points.

The Tigers are next in action against San Diego State on Wed. Nov. 22, as they continue play in the West Coast Classic. Game time is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. in the Spanos Center.