STOCKTON, Calif. – The Pacific men's basketball team concludes the non-conference portion of the schedule as it travels to take on Lamar on Tuesday, Dec. 20, at the Montagne Center.
Coming off a come-from-behind victory over San Jose State in the final home game of the non-conference slate last Saturday, the Tigers (6-8) defeated the Spartans, 59-58, after trailing by 15 points at halftime. The win marked the second time in as many seasons the Tigers earned a victory after trailing by 15 or more points at the midway point of a game, with the last coming in the 81-76 win over Pepperdine last season after trailing by 15 points at halftime, 44-29.
Keylan Boone led the Tigers in scoring in the win over the Spartans, tying his career high with 17 points in 35 minutes off the bench. Shooting 40 percent (six-for-15) from the field, Boone matched a season-high in three-point baskets, connecting on five of his 12 attempts.
Tyler Beard also contributed to the team's bench productivity, adding 11 points in a game-high 37 minutes of work. Beard shot a team-high 71.4 percent (five-for-seven) from the field while connecting on one of his three three-point attempts. Nearly recording the team's first double-double of the season, the sophomore from Chicago, Ill., tallied a career-high nine assists while adding four rebounds and three steals.
Lamar enters the Tuesday night matchup on a three-game losing streak after dropping an 83-59 loss at UL Monroe last Saturday.
Three players are averaging double figures for the Cardinals (4-8), with Nate Calmese leading with 16.4 points per game. The standout freshman has scored 20 or more points in a game five times this season while adding a career-high 31 points in the 91-56 win over Our Lady of the Lake on December 5.
Chris Pryor (10.5 points per game) and Adam Hamilton (10.3 points per game) have helped propel the Cardinals offensively through 12 games this season. Defensively, Cody Pennebaker leads the Cardinals in total rebounds with 63 and blocks with nine.
Tuesday's matchup will be the third meeting between Pacific and Lamar. The Tigers are 2-0 all-time against the Cardinals, with the last meeting coming on December 20, 2003, in a narrow 73-71 win at the Montagne Center. The Tigers beat the Cardinals in the previous season in Stockton, earning a 73-69 overtime win at the Alex G. Spanos Center on November 24, 2002.
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