SPOKANE, Wash. -- The Pacific men's basketball team, led by double-digit performances from Alphonso Anderson and Sam Freeman, fell to No. 2 Gonzaga, 89-51, Thursday evening at the McCarthey Athletic Center.
 
Anderson paced the Tigers (7-17, 2-7), scoring a team-high eight points in the first half. Anderson finished the game with 16 points, scoring in double figures for the 15th time this season. The senior from Tacoma, Wash., was also strong on the glass, collecting a team-high eight rebounds, including creating second-chance points for the Tigers, with two offensive rebounds.
 
Freeman also contributed to the Tigers' effort, recording one of his best performances this season. Freeman, who was used to counter the Bulldogs' (20-2, 9-0) size, came off the bench and tallied 12 points while shooting 75 percent (six-for-eight) from the field. The sophomore from Dallas, Texas, added five rebounds (two offensive) and recorded a team-high three blocks to keep the Bulldogs at bay at times during the game.
 
The Bulldogs quickly came out of the gates and led 5-2 in the early goings. Pierre Crockrell II kept the game close, scoring a floating jump shot in the paint to get the Tigers within one. The Bulldogs went on a 12-2 run shortly after and led 17-6 at the first media timeout with 16:16 left on the clock.
 
With the Bulldogs increasing their lead to 22-8 at the 13:16 mark of the first half, Jaden Byers had the highlight of the game for the Tigers, throwing down a ferocious left-handed dunk, putting the Zags' Anton Watson on the poster to cease the Tigers' scoring drought.
 
The Tigers went on a scoring run of their own shortly after, outscoring the Bulldogs 7-4 to cut the lead to 11, 28-17, and had a chance to pull even closer before the Bulldogs, pulled away.
 
"I thought we had opportunities to cut into the lead, Head Coach Leonard Perry stated regarding the Tigers' short scoring run. "We couldn't get the ball to go down, and we didn't get the shots we wanted."
 
The Bulldogs continued to pull away throughout the first half and outscored the Tigers by 20, 43-23, in the second half to solidify the victory.
 
The Tigers' defense held strong throughout the game and did everything they could to slow down the Bulldogs' high-powered offense. Pacific held Gonzaga to 89 points, tied for the second-lowest point total in conference play this season.
 
"I could not be prouder of our kids," Perry also stated after the game. "They're competing, they're battling, and they don't complain … They're doing what we ask them to do."
 
Pacific returns to action on Saturday, February 12, as the Tigers finish off their four-game road trip and take on San Diego at the Jenny Craig Pavilion at 5 p.m.