Box Score LAS VEGAS, Nev. – For the first time in 288 days, the Pacific women's basketball team recorded an official victory by taking down LSU, 73-64, at the Thomas & Mack Center on Saturday afternoon.
 
For Pacific, the win marked the first time that the Tigers have defeated LSU in program history, with their only other matchup coming on Dec. 30, 1988.
 
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

• After kicking off their season on Tuesday against No. 1 Stanford, Pacific got on the board against LSU on a turnaround jumper by senior Brooklyn McDavid just 29 seconds into the contest.
• Following back-to-back triples from redshirt junior Jordan Cruz, the Tigers held an early 11-4 advantage at the 6:49 mark in the first quarter.
• Trading baskets, LSU and Pacific were knotted at 20 at the end of the opening frame.
• Delivering when called upon, sophomore Sam Ashby and redshirt freshman Rosie Schweizer both scored in the first minute of the second period, putting Pacific up 25-22 with 9:02 remaining in the first half.
• Exchanging blows throughout the rest of the quarter, Ashby continued her career day by nailing her first from behind-the-arc with 1:49 on the clock to keep the Tigers on top, 34-32.
• With both teams locking down on defense through the final minutes of the half, Pacific led LSU, 34-32, heading into the locker room.
• Aiming to build on their momentum, UOP jumped out to a five-point lead, 42-37, after two free throws from senior Valerie Higgins at the 6:30 mark in the third quarter.
• Despite a quick run that saw LSU take a brief lead, senior Lianna Tillman came up clutch for Pacific just a few minutes later, burying two straight from three at 4:00 and 3:42 as the Tigers jumped back in front, 48-45.
• Maintaining their advantage following a layup from junior Josephine Millard with :28 on the clock, Pacific led 52-49 at the end of three quarters of play.
• Hitting their stride, the Tigers opened with three straight baskets from McDavid and Ashby, staying in front of LSU, 59-54, with 6:50 remaining in regulation.
• Although LSU would make the contest interesting down the stretch, UOP continued to shoot the ball successfully when it mattered, as free throws by Higgins gave the Tigers a ten-point lead, 67-57, with 2:50 in the fourth quarter.
• Sticking to their game plan, Pacific closed out the victory by a final score of 73-64 for their first win since a 67-49 win over Santa Clara in the opening round of the WCC Tournament on Mar. 7, 2020. 

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES:

• Carving out her role with Pacific, Ashby was named the Hardworking Player of the Game after finishing with career highs in ten categories. Overall, the Perth, Australia native tallied 13 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, one steal and one block.
• Spreading the wealth, four total Tigers scored in double figures in the win: McDavid (17), Higgins (13), Ashby (13) and Cruz (11). Additionally, Tillman flirted with a double-double by adding 8 points and 6 assists herself.
• Grinding on both sides of the ball, Pacific shot an impressive 52.0 percent overall from the floor, including 44.4 percent from behind-the-arc while limiting LSU to just 34.8 percent shooting overall and a 25.0 percent mark from deep. Besides the opening period, the Tigers also outscored LSU in each quarter of play. 

UP NEXT:
Pacific will conclude play in the Duel in the Desert tournament with their second and final game against host UNLV tomorrow, Sunday, Dec. 20 at 3:30 pm PST. Aiming for two victories in two days, the Tigers will face the Rebels for the 30^th time in program history, but are looking for their first win over UNLV since January 1, 2000. Live stream, live stats and radio links will be available via pacifictigers.com.
 
FOLLOW US:
For more updates and more information on the 2020-21 Pacific women's basketball team, be sure to follow @Pacific_Hoops on Twitter, @pacificwbb on Instagram and @PacificWomensBasketball on Facebook.