STOCKTON, Calif. – Led by five double-digit scorers, the Pacific men's basketball team defeated Pepperdine, 81-73, earning the season sweep Thursday evening at the Alex G. Spanos Center.
 
"I thought we played well tonight," Head Coach Leonard Perry said after the game. "The energy was good, and I was proud of how the second unit held us up."
 
Keylan Boone and Nick Blake scored a team-high 15 points for the Tigers (12-12, 5-4), lifting the team to take sole possession of fourth place in the conference standings. Boone shot 42.9 percent (six-for-14) from the field, while Blake led a bench unit that outscored the Waves (7-17, 0-10), 39-10.
 
The duo combined for six of the Tigers' seven three-point baskets as Blake shot a perfect three-for-three from behind the arc. A spark off the bench, Blake led the team with 11 second-half points, gathered five rebounds, and dished out two assists in 22 minutes of work. Boone tallied seven rebounds and added one steal.
 
Tyler Beard also provided bench support as he nearly recorded a double-double with 10 points and a career-high eight rebounds. Leading the team in boards, Beard surpassed his previous career-high of six set on January 7, 2022, against Marquette while competing at Georgetown.
 
Ten points apiece from Luke Avdalovic and Jordan Ivy-Curry also helped guide the Tigers in scoring throughout the game. The pair led the team to a 73.7 percent (14-for-19) night at the free-throw line, going perfect at the charity stripe, with four makes apiece.
 
"It can be anyone's night," Perry said about his five double-digit contributors. "We're moving the ball so well, making us a dangerous team to guard."
 
The Waves took the lead from the jump and went on a 9-3 run in the game's first three minutes. The Tigers recovered quickly, tying the game three times in the following eight minutes before taking the lead for good, 20-17, at the 8:46 mark of the first half.
 
Forcing the Waves into 10 first-half turnovers, the Tiger advantage quickly ballooned to double digits toward the end of the first half. Maintaining a 12-point lead at the break, 37-25, the Tigers held the Waves to just six points in the final six minutes of the half.
 
Pacific broke open the game during the second half of play, using multiple scoring runs to keep Pepperdine at bay. Leading by eight, 51-43, near the midway point of the second half, the Tigers used a 24-8 run to gain a 75-52 edge over the Waves at the 6:31 mark. Despite the Waves using a late-game push, the Tigers held on for a nine-point win.
 
Pacific returns to action at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 4, as it takes on BYU on the road at the Marriott Center.