HONOLULU, Hawaii - Junior transfer sharpshooter
Luke Avdalovic hit back-to-back 3 pointers early in the second half to spark a 14-1 run that led Pacific to an 85-74 win over Hawaii Hilo on Thursday night in the Outrigger Resort Hawaii Classic.
The win by the Tigers is the first win for first year head coach Leonard Perry, who becomes the fifth coach in a row in Pacific history to have won his first game within the first two games.
Avdalovic went on to hit five 3-pointers in the game en route a team-high 17-point effort as the Tigers got the first win for first year head coach
Leonard Perry. He becomes the fifth coach in a row in Pacific history to have won his first game within the first two games. The new coach is happy to have the junior transfer on the squad.
"Luke has another year, that is what helps me sleep at night. He's an unbelievable addition to the Pacific family. He's a tough scoundrel and he can make shots. Luke is a game changer in our program," said Perry.
For the Tigers (1-1), not only did
Jeremiah Bailey and
Pierre Crockrell II add scoring punch with 16 and 12 points, respectively, they also made contributions in other ways. Bailey had nine rebounds to go along with a career-best three blocked shots and Crockrell II handed out six assists. Plus,
Alphonso Anderson was in double figures for the second-straight night with 13 points.
The Vulcans were able to land five players in double figures including Aniwaniwa Tait-Jones, who scored a game-high 21 points. He was joined by four teammates – Darren Williams, Donald McHenry, Ethan Jetter and Jamie Strong – who all scored 11 points.
"I thought it was a great win for our guys. This team is still growing, and we are going to get better and better. I am proud of this win, it was not an easy one," said Perry.
After a slow start on Wednesday night, the Tigers had better fortune on Thursday as they made their first three shots for an early 8-4 lead. The Vulcans came back with a 14-3 run midway through the half to take a 20-16 lead with 9:36 left in the half. Defensive intensity got the Tigers back in the game as they held Hawaii Hilo to 3 of its last 8 from the field and the offense put the Tigers back in front at the break by a 37-34 margin.
The sharp shooting by Avdalovic tied the game at 51 and sparked the game-changing run for the second time in the game. Despite the run, the Vulcans managed to cut the Pacific lead to as little as six on a pair of occasions in the final 20 minutes.
Next, Pacific will face host Hawaii on Saturday night at 9 p.m. (PST)/7 p.m. (HST).
