STOCKTON, Calif. – Coming off a season-high Tuesday, senior Jalen Brown topped it Saturday with a career-high to lead the Pacific men's basketball program despite dropping an 89-84 outcome to San Diego at the Alex G. Spanos Center.
 
Brown netted a team-high 17 points for Pacific (6-20, 0-11 WCC) and was 6-of-9 from the field and 5-of-7 from long range. It came after he tallied a team-high 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting in the team's last game against Saint Mary's.
 
Brown is 10-of-14 (.714) from the field and 8-of-11 (.727) from beyond-the-arc over the last two games.
 
The Tigers got off to a hot start and scored the first nine points of the game, but San Diego (15-11, 5-6 WCC) came back to take a slight 45-43 lead at the half. The teams went toe-to-toe in the second half but the Toreros were able to hang on in the closing minutes.
 
Brown was one of four Tigers in double-figures. Sophomore Moe Odum recorded 15 points and seven assists, while senior Judson Martindale ended with 14 points. Junior Cam Denson neared a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds.
 

M. Odum to J. Martindale for the SLAM!

Pacific 23, San Diego 13#PacificProud | #WCCHoops pic.twitter.com/v6Dfut9thh

— Pacific Men's Basketball (@PacificMensBB) February 11, 2024

As a team, Pacific shot a season-high .551 from the field and matched its season-high with a .500 three-point percentage.
 
The Toreros garnered three 20-plus scorers including Wayne McKinney III with 31 points. Steven Jamerson II finished with 22 points and 14 rebounds, while Deuce Turner notched 20 points.
 
Pacific's hot start came after Odum scored the first five points of the game and Denson and senior Donovan Williams followed with field goals to go up 9-0. The Tigers increased it to 15-4 at the 15:18 mark after a three by senior Lesown Hallums, Jr.
 
Pacific's biggest lead of the game 26-13 came after a three by junior Tyler Beard with 10:58 remaining.
 
The Toreros responded with an 8-0 run to get back in it 26-21 with 8:14 to go. After another three by Hallums put the Tigers up 36-30, San Diego answered with another 8-0 spurt to take a 38-36 lead at the 2:49 mark. The Toreros remained ahead 45-43 at the break.
 
Despite it being a one-point game five times in the second half, the Tigers could never get over the hump and even it. Pacific trailed just 64-63 with 8:43 remaining after a lay-in by junior Burke Smith. Though, a 10-0 run by the Toreros gave them a 74-63 cushion with 5:22 left.
 
Pacific kept battling down the stretch and got it down to 83-79 after a three by Brown with 40 seconds, but free throws kept San Diego in front in the end.
 
Up next, the Tigers will hit the road for a 7 p.m. game Thursday at Santa Clara. Pacific will look to win on the road against Broncos for the second straight year after a 95-89 victory last season.
 
NOTES
- Pacific swept the season series over San Diego last year by winning 99-94 at home and 84-82 on the road. The Tigers are now 16-11 all-time against the Toreros and 10-4 at home.
 
- Pacific is 804-450 all-time at home and 341-217 in the Spanos Center.
 
- Martindale was 2-of-4 from long range and continued his streak of hitting a three in every WCC game this season. He's shooting 18-of-36 (.400) from long distance in conference. Martindale submitted his 39th career double-figure scoring game and 13th this year.
 
- Odum entered the game leading the WCC in assist:turnover ratio (2.5) and ranked second in assists (4.8 apg). He finished with seven assists and three turnovers. It was Odum's 14th career double-digit scoring performance and ninth this season.
 
- Brown surpassed his previous career-high of 14 points at Portland on Feb. 20, 2021 to register his third career double-figure scoring game and second in a row. He's now shooting .457 from long range on the season. Brown became the first Pacific student-athlete to make five threes in a game this year.
 
- Denson posted his 18th career double-digit scoring outing, 14th this year and third in a row. He was one rebound shy of his second double-double of the season.
 
- Williams returned to the lineup after missing the last two games due to injury and totaled nine points, six rebounds and four assists. He leads the team both in scoring and rebounding in conference games with 10.9 points and 5.2 rebounds per outing.
 
- Hallums was honored Tuesday with the CalHope Courage Award. The award honors student-athletes at California colleges and universities who have overcome the stress, anxiety, and mental trauma associated with personal hardships and adversity. More on Hallums' story can be read on calhopecourageaward.org.
 
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