MORAGA, Calif. – The Pacific men's basketball team (20-8) will make the short trip to Moraga on Saturday afternoon as the Tigers aim to win their first road game at Saint Mary's (20-6, 7-4) since Dec. 9, 1989.
Defeating the Gaels in a thrilling four-overtime victory on Jan. 4 at the Spanos Center, Pacific aims to win their sixth straight contest on Saturday as they also look for their first road victory since a 65-55 at Portland on Jan. 16.
GAME DETAILS
Date: Saturday, February 15, 2020-
Matchup: Pacific (20-8, 8-4 WCC) at Saint Mary's (20-6, 7-4 WCC)
Location: Moraga, Calif.
Venue: University Credit Union Pavilion
Time: 5:00 p.m.
Links: Live Stats |
Radio |
Video
LAST TIME OUT:
- Pushing their win streak at home to four in a row in addition to notching their fifth straight victory, the Tigers cruised past Portland, 75-55, as three players finished in double figures for Pacific.
- Leading the way, senior Jahlil Tripp tallied his ninth double-double of the year with 18 points, 12 rebounds, 3 steals and 1 assist.
- Showing he is one of the most productive point guards in the country, freshman Pierre Crockrell II was named the City of Stockton Human Resources Hardworking Player of the Game after recording the first double-double of his collegiate career with 10 points and 10 assists.
- Furthermore, junior transfer Broc Finstuen finished with his second highest point total of the season, pouring in 13 points and grabbing 2 rebounds on 6-of-10 shooting from the field.
- Dominating in nearly every major category, Pacific led the Pilots in points off turnovers (19-11), second chance points (8-2), bench points (45-8), points in the paint (44-22) and fast break points (8-5).
THINGS TO KNOW:
- Making his case for WCC Player of the Year, Tripp is putting together another monster year for the Tigers as he currently ranks at or near the top in multiple statistical categories in conference play: 18.3 ppg (3rd), 10.1 rpg (1st), 2.9 apg (12th), 1.5 spg (8th), 2.6 off. rebounds per game (1st), 7.5 def. rebounds per game (1st), 53% FG (3rd) and five double-doubles (1st).
- Improving with every opportunity, Crockrell leads the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio with a 3.7 mark, which also places his third in the nation in this category.
- Sitting solely in third place heading into their matchup with the Gaels, the Tigers currently pace the WCC in field goal percentage defense (40.8), scoring defense (64.1) and total blocks (110).
- In just his first year with full scholarship support, head coach Damon Stoudamire has the Tigers trending upwards at a historic pace as Pacific reached the 20-win mark for the first time since 2009-10 with their victory over Portland on Thursday night. Overall, UOP is one of only 26 teams in Division I men's basketball to tally 20 wins at this point in the season. Additionally, the WCC is home to four of the talented teams to achieve this feat: Gonzaga, BYU, Pacific and Saint Mary's.
SCOUTING THE GAELS:
- After taking down San Diego, 66-60, on Thursday, Feb. 6, Saint Mary's completed their 13th straight season with at least 20 wins. SMC has reached postseason play in all previous 12 seasons, including six trips to the NCAA Tournament.
- Coming into the matchup with an overall record of 20-6, the Gaels are currently slated to be a No. 9 seed in ESPN Joe Lunardi's bracket prediction.
- Locking down just like the Tigers, SMC ranks second in the conference behind Pacific in scoring defense (66.35 ppg allowed). The Gaels also do a great job of spreading the wealth, placing third in the WCC in scoring margin with a +9.77 clip.
- Proving to be one of the top guards in the country, senior Jordan Ford continues to show out in his final season in Moraga as he currently leads the conference in scoring with an average of 21.08 points per game. Just a few spots down the list, redshirt junior Malik Fitts sits in fifth place with a scoring average of 16.69 points per game.
FOLLOW US:
For more updates and more information on the 2019-20 Pacific men's basketball team, be sure to follow @PacificMensBB on Twitter, @pacificmensbb on Instagram and @PacificMensBB on Facebook.
