GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Powered by three double-digit scorers and a strong defensive presence, the Pacific men's basketball team defeated North Dakota, 93-63, Tuesday evening at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center.
"This team has such electric energy," Assistant Coach
Josh Newman said after the game. "They love spending time together, and they've bonded … it has helped with the play on the court."
For the third straight game, Newman filled in as acting head coach, with
Leonard Perry unable to make the trip.
The Tigers (2-1) shot a season-high 62.3 percent (38-for-61) from the field while also tying a season-high 11 made three-point baskets. Through the first three games this season, the Tigers are shooting 51.8 percent from the field, the highest team shooting percentage in over seven seasons through the first three games of the season.
Luke Avdalovic led the team in scoring in the win over the Fighting Hawks (1-2), tallying a season-high 19 points. Avdalovic shot 87.5 percent (seven-for-eight) from the floor, his highest shooting percentage in a game through 28 games with the Tigers. The senior from Folsom, Calif., also connected on all five of his three-point attempts, marking the first time he has been perfect from beyond the three-point line in a game.
Along with Avdalovic's offensive production,
Cam Denson and
Jordan Ivy-Curry also poured in double-digit point totals to help propel the Tigers to victory. For the third-straight game, Ivy-Curry scored in double figures as he scored 16 points, while Denson also added 16 points, the first time in his career reaching double figures in a game.
"From an offensive standpoint, any player can carry this team on any given night," Newman continued. "When we put this team together, we built it with depth, and we have a lot of players who can make an impact."
Defense played a crucial role in the road win as the Tigers tallied seven steals throughout the contest. The team has accumulated 26 in the first three games of the season and ranks third in the West Coast Conference with 8.6 steals per game.
The Tigers started the game slowly, falling behind 7-2 in the opening minutes. The team, however, quickly responded, using a 7-0 run to take a 9-7 lead over the Fighting Hawks at the 15:49 mark of the first half. Never trailing from that point on, the Tigers closed out the first half of play on a 33-19 run and led by 16, 42-26, at the halftime break.
The second half started the same way the first half ended, as the Tigers used a 20-5 run to push the lead to 31, 62-31, by the 13:26 mark of the second half. Leading by as much as 37 points, the Tigers continued to control the pace of play, outscoring the Fighting Hawks 51-37 in the final 20 minutes of the game.
Pacific returns to action at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 18, as the Tigers host Cal State Fullerton in the home opener at the Alex G. Spanos Center.
