San Diego defeats Pacific 66-54

Pacific Falls Short at San Diego

The San Diego Toreros secured a 12-point victory over the visiting Pacific Tigers, 66-54, in a tightly contested conference matchup on Sunday night.

At Jenny Craig Pavilion, the energetic home crowd set the tone early as San Diego took an early lead. By halftime, the Toreros were up by 11 points (34-23), and they continued to build upon that advantage throughout the second half. The Tigers struggled to find their footing, struggling from beyond the arc and committing turnovers.

The turning point came midway through the second half when Pacific's offense went cold, allowing San Diego to extend its lead. Despite a late surge from the Tigers, they were unable to close the gap.

For San Diego, sophomore forward Luke Graham led the way with 15 points, including three 3-pointers. The team shot an impressive 40% from beyond the arc (12/30) and made all 18 of their free throws (75.0%). Senior guard Kaden Beard added 13 points and 4 assists.

Pacific, on the other hand, struggled to find its rhythm, shooting just 42% overall (21/50). The Tigers' only bright spot was their free throw shooting, which improved to 67.0% after halftime. Freshman forward Michael Oguine led Pacific with 16 points and 7 rebounds.

The loss drops Pacific's record to 6-3, while San Diego improves to 5-4 in conference play. Despite the deficit, this win should be considered a significant statement by the Toreros, who will look to build momentum heading into their next matchup.

Advanced statistics show that San Diego's efficiency on offense (eFG%: 48.0%, FT Rate: 48.0%) and defense (OREB%: 22.2%, TO Ratio: 12.9%) were crucial in securing the victory.