BEAUMONT, Texas – The Pacific men's basketball team closed non-conference play Tuesday evening, defeating Lamar, 74-65, at the Montagne Center.
 
"I'm proud of how the team fought tonight," Head Coach Leonard Perry said after the game. "No matter how much we lost in the last month, their spirits have been up, and we continue to work hard to get to where we are now."
 
Luke Avdalovic paced the Tigers (7-8) offensively with a team-high 15 points. Scoring all of his points from beyond the three-point line, Avdalovic shot 62.5 percent (five-for-eight) from the field while gathering two rebounds. Establishing himself as the Tigers' best shooter, the senior from Folsom, Calif., leads the team and ranks second in the West Coast Conference with 37 made three-point baskets.
 
Keylan Boone and Nick Blake also scored in double figures for the Tigers, pouring in 14 and 13 points, respectively. Boone registered another efficient shooting performance, shooting 75 percent (six-for-eight) from the field while connecting on two of his three three-point attempts. Blake shot 41.6 percent (five-for-12) throughout the contest and led the team with 10 second-half points.
 
Moe Odum and Donovan Williams contributed to the winning efforts as Odum recorded a career-high eight assists, while Williams led the team in rebounds with seven.
 
The Tigers controlled the game through the first 20 minutes of play, outscoring the Cardinals (4-9), 37-21. Smothering the Cardinals with defense in the first half, the Tigers held their opponent to 28.6 percent shooting (six-for-21) while only allowing one three-point make.
 
Holding the momentum at the start of the second half, the Tigers extended the lead to 24, 60-36, the game's largest lead, at the 10:25 mark of the second half. The Cardinals began to chip away shortly after, embarking on a 23-9 run to cut the deficit to 10, 69-59, at the 2:55 mark.
 
Both teams traded baskets throughout the final two minutes as the Tigers held on for the nine-point victory.
 
Pacific returns to action at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 29, as it hosts BYU at the Alex G. Spanos Center to begin West Coast Conference play.
 
Moe Odum and Donovan Williams contributed to the winning efforts as Odum recorded a career-high eight assists, while Williams led the team in rebounds with seven.
 
The Tigers controlled the game through the first 20 minutes of play, outscoring the Cardinals (4-9), 37-21. Smothering the Cardinals with defense in the first half, the Tigers held the Cardinals to 28.6 percent shooting (six-for-21) while only allowing one three-point make.