Pacific Defends Their Homecourt, Upsets Pepperdine

Jan 4, 2014; Spokane, WA, USA; Pacific Tigers guard

(3) is fouled by Gonzaga Bulldogs guard

(11) during the first half at McCarthey Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports

Pacific gained its second victory of the conference season by defeating Pepperdine by a score of 76-66.

Sama Taku was inserted back in the starting lineup for the Tigers, and proved head coach Ron Verlin right for doing so. The senior guard led Pacific in points with 17, shot 7-10 from the field, grabbed 4 rebounds and dished out 4 assists while only turning the ball over once. His performance was refreshing for the Tigers.

Trevin Harris doesn’t put up flashy numbers, but he is arguably Pacific’s most complete player. The senior forward scored 5 points, pulled down 5 boards and dished out 6 assists, which was a team-high for Pacific. His 5 rebounds was tied for the most on the Tigers with Tony Gill.

Stacy Davis and Malcolm Brooks had 12 points for Pepperdine in the losing effort. Stacy Davis led the Waves on the glass with 8 rebounds. Amadi Udenyi also scored in double-digits for the Waves. He had 10 on the night.

With the loss, Pepperdine falls to 5-5 with the loss, their second straight. Pacific improves to 2-6 on the night with its victory. Pacific travels to the Marriot Center Thursday to take on BYU next, while Pepperdine hosts its rival LMU.