The Carthage College men's basketball team (3-2, 0-0 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin), ranked fifth in the pre-season "D3hoops.com" poll, defeated Pacific University (0-3), 82-75, on Friday, Nov. 26 at the California Lutheran University "Surf's Up Invitational" at Kalani High School in Honolulu, Hawaii.  The Red Men opened tournament play on Wednesday, Nov. 24 with an 81-69 loss to No. 16 Whitworth University (3-0) at the Punahou School in Honolulu, Hawaii.

In the win over Pacific, Carthage led by as much as 12 points in the first half, 19-7, at 14:20.  The Red Men led by 10 points at halftime, 41-31.  The lead went to 14 points, 57-43, at 11:54 second period.  Carthage still led by 13, 67-54, at 5:25 before the Boxers made a late run.  Pacific used an 18-7 run to make it a two-point game, 74-72, with 24 seconds to play.  The Red Men connected on six-of-six free throws down the stretch, including four-of-four by Steve Djurickovic, to close out the seven-point win, 82-75.

Carthage shot 46 percent (28-61), but just four-of-26 from three point range.  Pacific also shot 46 percent (26-57).  The Red Men out-rebounded the Boxers, 38-35.  All five Carthage starters scored in double figures.  Steve Djurickovic (Sr., Pleasant Prairie, Wis./Kenosha-Bradford) had 19 points on four-of-eight field goals and 11-of-13 free throws, along with eight rebounds and nine assists.  Max Cary (Jr., Geneva, Ill.) had 16 points on seven-of-nine field goals.  Mitch Thompson (So., Orland Park, Ill./Sandburg) had 15 points and seven rebounds.  Malcom Kelly (So., Kenosha, Wis./Reuther) added 14 points, and Tyler Pierce (So., Westmont, Ill.) chipped in 12 points.  LeMar Anglin had a game-high 27 points for the Boxers, and Carson Bartlett had 17 points.

"We played better," said Carthage coach Bosko Djurickovic, "but it was a brutally difficult game to play.  There was no flow, whatsoever.  Pacific is a hustling, hard-nosed and competitive basketball team, and we don't look as crisp as we need to.  We have to execute better.  We have to do a better job of shooting, especially our three-point shooting.  If we shot 13-of-26 from three-point range, instead of four-of-26, we win this game by 30 points.  The fact that we were four-of-26 extends this bloody game to the final 25 seconds.  Hope College and Calvin College present some challenges next week.  We have to break that down and get done what we need to get done."

Carthage plays host to the seventh annual CCIW/MIAA Men's Basketball Classic on Friday-Saturday, Dec. 3-4 at Tarble Arena in Kenosha, Wis.  On Friday, Dec. 3, Calvin College plays Wheaton College (Ill.) at 6 p.m., followed by Carthage versus Hope College at 8 p.m.  On Saturday, Dec. 4, Hope takes on Wheaton (Ill.) at 1 p.m., with Carthage playing Calvin at 3 p.m.