Feb. 5, 2009

Box Score

Riverside, Calif. - The Tiger men's basketball team dropped a 66-63 decision at UC Riverside on Thursday, Feb. 5. Pacific is now 12-8 overall, 5-4 in Big West Conference play. The Highlanders are 12-9 overall and 4-5 in league play.

Senior Michael Kirby (North Highlands, Calif.) kicked off the scoring for the Tigers with a three-pointer two minutes into the game. The Highlanders took a pair of early leads in the game at 8-5 and 10-7. Pacific used a 13-5 run to take a 20-15 lead with 8:31 left in the half, getting a three-pointer from sophomore Terrell Smith (Federal Way, Wash.) and a three-point play to cap the drive. The Highlanders responded with a 10-2 run to take a 25-22 lead with 4:29 to go in the half. UC Riverside extended to a five-point lead at 31-26 before the Tigers finished the half with a 5-1 spurt on a basket and a three-pointer by senior Bryan LeDuc (Corona, Calif.).

The Tigers took the lead on their fist possession of the second half when senior Chad Troyer (Seattle, Wash.) hit his second three-pointer of the game. After UCR took a 35-34 lead, Pacific built it's largest advantage of the game on an 9-2 run, getting four points from senior Anthony Brown (Sacramento, Calif.) and another trey from Kirby. After a quick 5-0 Highlander spurt, Kirby answered with another three-pointer to take the lead to 46-42 with 12:39 left. The Tigers would not score over the next five minutes, as a UCR 7-0 run turned the score to 49-46 in favor of the Highlanders with 7:16 to go. Pacific got a three-point play from junior Lavar Neufville (Fairfield, Calif.) to even it up again at 49-49. The teams traded scores a couple of times to even it up at 54-54 and tie the game for the eighth time with 5:18 remaining in the game. The Highlanders score a pair baskets on the next two trips down the court and take a 58-54 with 3:05 to go. Trailing 60-55 with 1:56 remaining, Smith hit a shot in the corner to cut the lead to 60-57. After a pair of free throws by Aaron Scott, Kirby hit another triple to make it 62-60 with :20 seconds left. Sean Cunningham hit another pair at the line, followed by another Kirby three to cut the lead to 64-63 and just :12 seconds to go. Javon Borum took the lead back to three with another pair of free throws, and the Tigers were unable to hit a tying three in the final seconds.

Kirby led the Tigers with a career-high 18 points, hitting six three-pointers. LeDuc scored 14 points, all in the first half, but did not take a shot in the final 20 minutes.

Pacific was out-rebounded 32-25, as the Highlanders score 12 second chance points off of 11 offensive boards. UCR held a 30-14 advantage on points in the paint.

The Tigers are next in action on Saturday, Feb. 7 with a game at Long Beach State. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. in a game televised nationally by Fox Sports Prime Ticket.