STOCKTON Calif. – A hard fought game that could have gone either way just didn't end in favor of the Pacific men's basketball program as San Francisco scraped out a 92-88 overtime decision Thursday in the West Coast Conference opener at the Alex G. Spanos Center.
 
Pacific (6-10, 0-1 WCC) led 78-73 with 1:13 remaining in regulation, but San Francisco (12-4, 1-0 WCC) was able to come back and tie it with 10 seconds left and prevailed in overtime. It came after the Tigers erased a seven-point halftime deficit as the game featured seven ties and five lead changes.
 
The Dons entered the game as the highest ranked team in the WCC, coming in at No. 39 in the national NCAA NET Rankings. They entered the game ranked seventh in the country in scoring defense allowing just 59.3 points per game but gave up 88 points to the Tigers.
 
A career night came from senior Lesown Hallums, Jr. as he poured in 25 points. He was a scorching 9-of-11 from the field and 3-of-4 from long range.
 
A double-double came from sophomore Moe Odum who turned in a season-high 19 points and matched his career-high of 10 assists. He logged a career-high 44:31 minutes. Odum was one of three Tigers to play over 40 minutes including Hallums and senior Donovan Williams.
 
Williams finished with 15 points. Pacific garnered four double-figure scorers on the evening as senior Nick Blake tallied 10 points.
 
USF was guided by Jonathan Mogbo's 30 points and 18 rebounds. Malik Thomas ended with 21 points.
 
The Tigers led 12-7 at the 13:05 mark of the first half after an old-fashion three-point play by Hallums. Though, the Dons responded with an 11-1 run to leap ahead 18-13 with 9:58 remaining.
 
USF's biggest lead of the night was 31-20 with 6:09 to go in the first. A three by junior Tyler Beard trimmed it to 40-35 on Pacific's final possession but the Dons hit a pair of free throws with three seconds to carry a 42-35 edge at the intermission.
 
Still down 49-42 in the second, a three by Williams sparked a 6-0 run to make it a 49-48 game with 16:28 remaining. The Tigers tied it 56-56 on a three by Hallums with 13:52 left.
 
Pacific took its first lead of the half 62-60 on a pair of free throws by Hallums at the 11:41 mark. The Tigers upped it to 72-65 on a field goal by junior Burke Smith with 6:21 remaining.
 
The Dons got it down to 75-73 when Odum answered with a three to lead by five with 1:13 to go. Though, USF fought back with a three-point play by Mogbo, followed by a defensive stop and a second chance bucket to even it at 78-78 with 10 seconds left.
 
The Tigers held for the final shot of regulation, but a tough, contested jumper from the edge of the paint on the right side didn't go down.
 
USF scored the first three points in overtime and pushed it up to 84-79 with 3:10 to go. Free throws by Odum and a jumper by Beard got it down to 84-83, but the Dons were able to get stops defensively in the closing minutes and converted at the free throw line to stay ahead.
 
Pacific will play its first WCC road game Saturday when it travels to Portland for a 5 p.m. tip. The game can be watched on ESPN+ or heard on Fox Sports AM 1280 with Zack Bayrouty on the call.
 
NOTES
- Pacific and San Francisco is a matchup that dates back to 1911-12, and both schools are charter members of the West Coast Conference when the league began in 1952.
 
- The Tigers moved to 804-445 all-time at home, 341-211 in the Spanos Center and 5-5 this season.
 
- Pacific is now 1-1 in overtime games this year after beating Mississippi Valley State 68-65 on Nov. 26.
 
- Hallums surpassed his previous career-high of 22 points set at East Carolina on Nov. 29, 2022 when he played for South Carolina State. It was his fifth career 20-plus scoring outing and second as a Tiger as he previously scored 21 points in a win against Le Moyne on Nov. 24, 2023. His nine made field goals were a season-high. Hallums turned in his 19th career double-figure scoring game and sixth this year.
 
- Odum became the first Pacific student-athlete to submit a double-double in points and assists since Pierre Crockrell II posted 10 points and 10 assists against Portland on Feb. 13, 2020. It was his first career double-double as his 19 points surpassed his previous season-high of 18 against Le Moyne. Odum dished out 10 assists for the fourth time in his career and second time this season. He entered the game ranked second in the league in assists with 4.5 per game.
 
- Williams notched his 12th career double-figure scoring game and sixth this year. He was 5-of-10 from the field, pulled down five rebounds and matched his career-high with three steals.
 
- Blake, who missed the first 11 games of the season, has scored in double-figures in four games in a row. It was his 29th career double-digit scoring performance as he leads the team with 11.6 points per game.
 
- The Tigers were without senior Judson Martindale for the second consecutive game. Martindale averages 10.5 points per game and leads the team in three-pointers made with 21.
 
- The Tigers have used eight different starting lineups in 14 games this year.
 
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