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RENO, Nev. – Playing its first road game of the season, the Pacific men’s basketball program will travel to Nevada for a 7 p.m. tip Saturday at the Lawlor Events Center.
The game will be televised on the Mountain West Network or can be heard live for free on Fox Sports AM 1280 with Zack Bayrouty on the call.
Both Pacific (1-0) and Nevada (1-0) opened the season with a win. The Tigers downed Life Pacific 83-56, while the Wolf Pack ousted Louisiana Tech 77-50. Nevada also posted exhibition wins over Utah 80-77 and Eastern Washington 73-52.
In Pacific’s win over Life Pacific, the Tigers held a wide 44-20 margin in points in the paint and a 16-0 edge in fast break points. Senior Elias Ralph registered 20 points, seven rebounds and two blocks.
Ralph was named to the WCC Preseason All-Conference Team after averaging 14.8 points and 7.3 rebounds per game last year. He etched 10 double doubles last year, which ranked top-40 nationally.
Ralph was one of three Tigers to score in double-figures against Life Pacific. Senior TJ Wainwright netted 17 points on 8-of-12 shooting, while senior Jaden Clayton submitted 13 points, eight assists and was 3-of-6 from three-point range.
Pacific won its season and home opener by exactly 27 points for the second year in a row. Last year, in head coach Dave Smart’s debut, the Tigers beat Jessup 92-65.
Saturday will be the 104th meeting between Pacific and Nevada in a series that dates back to 1914-15. The Tigers lead the series 53-50 but the Wolf Pack have won the last six dating back to 2015-16.
Pacific’s next home game is Wednesday, Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. when it hosts Long Beach State at the Alex G. Spanos Center. Wainwright transferred from LBSU where he averaged 13.4 points per game last season.
NOTES
– The new-look Tigers reloaded with 15 newcomers this year, which included 10 transfers and five freshmen. They have Division I transfers from Binghamton, Dayton, Florida, Lamar, Long Beach State, Maine, UC San Diego and Washington. Most notably, junior Kajus Kublickas was part of a national championship team last season with the Gators.
– Pacific has developed an international pipeline from Canada with six Canadians on the roster under Canadian head coach Dave Smart. Additionally, four of the seven men’s basketball staff members are Canadian.
– 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.
– Ralph is one of three returners on the roster. Junior Kris Keinys averaged 2.6 points per game but came on strong in the end with 7.8 points per outing over the last four games. Sophomore Noah Budu returns but did not see action last season.
– The Tigers will participate in the 2025 Sunshine Slam in Daytona Beach, Florida. The tournament begins with a road game at Florida Atlantic on Nov. 24 and continues with a neutral game against Stony Brook. Pacific will face either Bethune-Cookman or Jacksonville in the finale on Nov. 25.
Tigers Tickets
Tickets for upcoming events can be purchased through the PacificTigers.com tickets tab, or by calling the Box Office at 209-946-2474. Groups of 10 or more are eligible for a group discount and exclusive fan experiences.
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