STOCKTON, Calif. – The Pacific men's basketball team dropped its West Coast Conference opener Thursday evening, falling to BYU, 69-49 at the Alex G. Spanos Center.
 
"We were out of rhythm all game," Head Coach Leonard Perry said after the game. "We took difficult shots, and they made us pay on the other end."
 
Keylan Boone led the Tigers (7-9, 0-1) offensively, scoring a career-high 19 points. Registering double-figure scoring for the third straight game, Boone shot 57.1 percent (eight-for-14) from the floor and gathered a team-leading four rebounds.
 
Luke Avdalovic and Greg Outlaw contributed to the scoring efforts, recording nine and seven points, respectively. Avdalovic connected on three of his six three-point attempts, while Outlaw also helped defensively, recording a team-high two steals.
 
Defensively, the Tigers forced 21 turnovers, including tallying seven steals. Cam Denson and Sam Freeman recorded one block apiece.
 
The Tigers jumped out to a quick start, outscoring the Cougars (11-5, 1-0), 8-1, in the game's opening minutes. The Cougars quickly recovered as a 9-2 run ensued shortly after to tie the game at 10 at the 15:44 mark of the first half. The lead bounced back and forth in the following minutes before the Cougars secured the lead for good.
 
Pacific returns to action at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 31, as it hosts Loyola Marymount in a West Coast Conference contest.