Jan. 4, 2007

Box Score

Riverside, Calif. - Sophomore Anthony Brown recorded game-highs of 18 points and a career-high 15 rebounds to lead the Pacific men's basketball team to a 62-49 Big West Conference victory at UC Riverside in the road conference opener for the Tigers.

With the victory, the Tigers improved to 5-9 on the season and 2-0 in the Big West Conference. UC Riverside fell to to 3-12 and 0-3 in league play.

In a quickly played first half, the Tigers led 30-26 at the break. No fouls were called until the 8:08 mark of the half. Pacific led by as many as seven points in the first half, but settled for a four point lead at halftime.

The Tigers held UC Riverside to 34.0% shooting overall and 20.0% from three point range. Pacific shot 53.3% from the field for the game and a season-high 64.7% in the second half.

The led by nine (48-39) with 8:23 left in the game, when the Highlanders went on a 5-0 run to cut Pacific's lead to just four at 48-44 with 6:45 left. The Tigers then got a three-pointer from sophomore Steffan Johnson (Kent, Wash.) while UC Riverside's Charles Jim-George was hit for a foul away from the ball. The Tigers scored on the ensuing possession and the lead was back to nine (53-44). Pacific's lead would not fall below six the rest of the way.

Johnson added 15 points on 4-of-7 shooting from three-point range. Senior Anthony Esparza (Bakersfield, Calif.) added 10 points.

UCR was led by Larry Cunningham's 13 points.

Pacific is next in action on Saturday, January 6 with a 6:00 p.m. game at Cal State Fullerton.