SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Led by Keylan Boone's second career double-double, the Pacific men's basketball team defeated San Diego, 84-82, in a West Coast Conference contest Thursday evening at the Jenny Craig Pavilion.
 
"We've been through a lot of close games this year," Head Coach Leonard Perry said after the game. "We've learned many tidbits and made the necessary adjustments to get this team more comfortable in these situations." 
 
Recording a career-high 27 points and 12 rebounds, Boone paced the Tigers (9-9, 2-1) offensively throughout the night. Scoring 18 second-half points, Boone shot 87.5 percent (seven-for-eight) throughout the final 20 minutes of play, including going four-for-four from distance. For the game, the junior from Tulsa, Okla., shot 73.3 percent (11-for-15) from the field and 62.5 percent (five-for-eight) from the three-point line.
 
"He's a wonderful person to be around," Perry said about Boone. "He's been gradually improving, and tonight he had a great game."
 
Luke Avdalovic reached double figures for the eighth time this season as he scored 14 points while shooting 50 percent (three-for-six) from the three-point line. Avdalovic continues to rank first in the conference in three-point percentage, shooting at a 58.7 percent clip through 18 games.
 
Tallying a career-high 10 assists, Moe Odum nearly registered a double-double as he added nine points on 50 percent (four-for-eight) shooting. Ranking second on the team in assists with 41, Odum has dished out 26 in the last four games.
 
Tyler Beard contributed with 15 points off the bench, shooting a stellar 62.5 percent (five-for-eight) from the field while also going perfect at the free-throw line, connecting on all five of his attempts.
 
In a back-and-forth battle in the first 20 minutes of play, the Tigers jumped out on the Toreros (8-9, 1-2), using a 10-2 run to set the early tone. The Toreros quickly erased the deficit and used a 21-11 run to gain the lead, 23-21, at the 10:22 mark of the first half.
 
Trailing by four, 34-30, with three minutes left on the clock in the opening period, Greg Outlaw and Beard propelled the Tigers with six straight points, closing the half with a 36-34 advantage.
 
Pacific extended its advantage to start the second half, scoring on four of the opening five possessions to push the lead to eight, 48-40. Shots from distance played a role throughout the final 20 minutes of play, as the Tigers shot 63.6 percent (seven-for-11) from beyond the three-point line.
 
Holding a 10-point lead, 52-42, at the 15:36 mark of the second half, the Tigers' edge began to diminish as the Toreros used a 27-15 run to take a two-point lead, 69-67 at the 6:19 mark.
 
In the final three minutes of play, the Tigers trailed by as much as six before chipping away, regaining the lead for good with 39 seconds left on a four-point play by Avdalovic.
 
Pacific returns to action at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 7, as it travels to Pepperdine in a conference showdown at the Firestone Fieldhouse.