FOREST GROVE – Portland Bible used a blistering three-point shooting performance to spoil Pacific's 2010-11 season opener and Tim Cleary's debut at Boxers' head coach Thursday night, hitting 63 percent from the arc to win 111-99 in men's basketball action at the Stoller Center.
The Wildcats (3-4) connected on 10 of 14 from three-point range in the first half, fueling the flame for a 54-42 halftime lead. Despite trailing by as much as 23 points midway through the second half, the Boxers (0-1) forced the Wildcats to move inside and cut the lead to within eight points with 1:31 to go. Pacific made just one free throw down the stretch, allowing Portland Bible to secure the win.
Adam McElwee (So., Woodinville, Wash.) led the Boxers with a career night, putting together a double-double of 27 points and 11 rebounds on 9 of 14 from the field and 4 of 8 from three-point range. Carson Bartlett (Jr., St. Helens, Ore.) added 18 points and nine rebounds while Colin Wester (So., Sherwood, Ore.) and Charles Mosley (So., Hillsboro, Ore.) added 13 each. Pacific shot 50 percent (36-72) from the field and 35.5 percent (11-31) from three-point range.
Portland Bible's Kenan Dizdarevic could not be stopped, pouring in 39 points on 13 of 23 from the field and 6 of 10 from the three-point line. Cameron Guyton added 32 on 11 of 14 from the field as the Wildcats shot 58.5 percent (38-65) from the field.
The Wildcats broke a close game open when two Jacob Peters free throws started a 12-1 run, fueled by a pair of Tim Mahan threes, that opened up a 23-12 lead. The Boxers cut the advantage to five on a Marcus Kienlen (Jr., Scappoose, Ore.) three at the 10:28 mark, but Dizdarevic and Guyton turned on the three-point machine to take the lead back to double digits at 34-23.
Pacific came back to trail 39-32 on two McElwee free throws with 5:42 left but three straight three-pointers allowed the Wildcats to keep well ahead of the Boxers to take a 54-42 lead into the half. Portland Bible shot 71.4 percent from long range in the half and 63 percent from the field.
Portland Bible kept the heat on in the second half, opening up a 66-46 lead on Dustin Hutley's lay-in at the 16:50 mark. Pacific succeeded in forcing the Wildcats inside, though, and eventually cut the edge to 720-60 on a McElwee trey at the 13:20 mark. The Wildcats then started forcing fouls, and connected from the free throw line and the three-point line. The combination of the two opened up the Wildcats' largest lead, 91-68, on Dizdarevic's sixth three-pointer with 8:38 to go.
The Boxers hit their stride late, cutting the lead to single digits when Wester's trey with 2:14 to go made it a 104-95 lead and a free throw by Robby Babek (Jr., Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.) cut the lead to eight with 1:30 to go.
The Wildcats were back up by 12 when Jeremee Tyler fouled out with 43 seconds left, forcing the Wildcats to play with just four players. They had suited just six players and Hutley had fouled out earlier in the half. Guyton and Dizdarevic, though, did their part to work their way through Pacific's press to close out the game.
Pacific returns to action at home on Saturday, hosting Corban at the Stoller Center. Tip-off is schedule for 7 p.m.