STOCKTON, Calif. – Dominating in the paint and scoring in transition, the Pacific men's basketball program opened the 2025-26 season with an 83-56 win over Life Pacific on Wednesday at the Alex G. Spanos Center.
 
Pacific (1-0) outscored Life Pacific by a wide 44-20 margin in points in the paint and posted a 16-0 scoring edge in fast break points. The Warriors relied on the three-point shot and went 6-of-11 in the first half but were held to a 0-for-6-mark in the second.
 
Senior Elias Ralph, who was named to the WCC Preseason All-Conference Team, shined with game-highs of 20 points, seven rebounds and two blocks. He was 3-of-5 from distance and 5-of-6 from the charity stripe.
 
Ralph was one of three Tigers to score in double-figures. Senior TJ Wainwright debuted with 17 points, while senior Jaden Clayton registered 13 points, eight assists and two steals.
 
As a team, Pacific shot .525 from the floor. Freshman Jaion Pitt came off the bench to score eight points on a perfect 4-of-4 shooting. Junior Kajus Kublickas also came off the bench to net eight points.
 
Life Pacific, which was coming off a tight 88-80 road defeat to Pepperdine on Monday, was led by Braxton Williams who ended with 11 points and seven rebounds. The Warriors hit four of their first five three-point attempts to hang around early.
 
The Tigers went on a 10-0 run in the first half to build a 20-11 lead after a jumper by Ralph at the 11:09 mark. Pacific increased it to double-figures 32-22 in a floater by Wainwright with 2:52 to go. A lay-in by Wainwright on the team's final possession of the half made it 41-29 at the intermission.
 
Pacific pulled away early in the second half as a three by Ralph upped the lead to 51-35 with 16:43 remaining. An old-fashion three-point play by senior Justin Rochelin put the Tigers ahead 62-40 at the 12:06 mark.
 
Pacific steadily increased its advantage throughout the second half. The largest lead, 83-54, came on an inside bucket by senior KC Ibekwe with under a minute left.
 
Up next, Pacific will play its first road game of the season when it travels to Nevada for a 7 p.m. tip Saturday. The Tigers are 53-50 all-time against the Wolf Pack.
 
NOTES
- The Tigers won their season and home opener by exactly 27 points for the second year in a row after topping Jessup 92-65 last season in head coach Dave Smart's inaugural game.
 
- Pacific improved to 810-462 all-time at home and 347-229 in the Alex G. Spanos Center.
 
- Wednesday's contest against was a rematch from last year where the Tigers won 94-41 on a neutral court in Hawaii at the Rainbow Classic.
 
- Pacific is now 6-1 under Smart when the team shoots .500 or better from the field.
 
- Ralph turned in his 20th career 20-plus scoring performance, eighth at Pacific and second in a row after scoring 23 points in the finale last year against San Diego. It was his 89th career double-figure scoring game, 29th at Pacific and fourth in a row dating back to last year.
 
- Wainwright notched his 37th career double-figure scoring game after doing so 22 times last year at Long Beach State and 14 times in the years prior at Robert Morris. He was 7-of-12 from the floor and buried a pair of threes.
 
- Clayton submitted his 32nd career double-digit scoring performance after doing so 31 times over the last three years at Maine. He was 4-of-8 from the field and 3-of-6 from beyond-the-arc.
 
- The new-look Tigers reloaded with 15 newcomers this year, which included 10 transfers and five freshmen. More than half of Pacific's roster is international. The Tigers are represented with six from Canada, two from Lithuania and one from each the Dominican Republic and Israel. At the same time, Pacific has been able to recruit locally with five California natives on the team.
  

First bucket of the year is a dunk by I. Jack.#PacificProud pic.twitter.com/DJ5LmUGbUS

— Pacific Men's Basketball (@PacificMensBB) November 6, 2025

                     
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