Box Score | Coach Cleary's Postgame Comments (Video)

FOREST GROVE – Charles Mosley (Jr., Hillsboro, Ore.) took charge for Pacific down the stretch Tuesday night, making eight straight free throws in the final minute to lead the Boxers past Linfield, 76-67, in both teams' Northwest Conference men's basketball season opener at the Stoller Center.
 
Mosley connected on 10 straight charity shots in the final 10 minutes of the second half while leading the Boxers with a game-high 22 points.  He led an impressive effort from the line that made the difference in the game as the Boxers went 23 of 25 from the stripe.  Mosley also connected on 5 of 7 from the field.
 
"He's has really taken his game to the next step," Head Coach Tim Cleary said of Mosley's performance.  "He's a very good shooter from the fringes and in the past has been caught up in bailing out and settling for those shots.  Tonight he was a man in the post.  He got in there, got fouled and got to the line, and that opened up perimeter jump shots."
 
With the win, Pacific improves to 4-0 overall, 1-0 NWC, marking their best start since the 1998-99 season.  Linfield, which has been rattled with injuries early this year, dropped to 1-4, 0-1 NWC.
 
Mosley led four Pacific starters who finished in double figures in scoring.  David Berney (Jr., Eugene, Ore.) connected for 15 points.  Colin Wester (Jr., Sherwood, Ore.) added 14 and Dustin Bowser (Jr., Bellingham, Wash.) scored 12 to go along with nine rebounds.  Pacific finished the night shooting 48.9 percent from the field (23-47) and 7 of 19 from three-point range.
 
Cleary was pleased with his team's all-around effort in a challenging start to the NWC season.  "Anytime you open up league, you always want to get off on the right up," he said.  "When you open with Linfield, it's always a big game.  It was good for us to get off on the right foot and get it done.  It was a grind it out game.  It wasn't pretty at times and we had to work for every bucket, but fortunately we were able to get out on top."
 
Zach Anderson led Linfield with 20 points to go along with nine rebounds while Michael Moreland added 15 points.  The Wildcats shot 41.1 percent from the field (23-56) and 32 percent from the arch (8-25), but connected on just 13 of 23 from the free throw line.  Pacific out-rebounded the Wildcats 34-30.
 
As with many Linfield/Pacific matchups in the past, the contest proved to be a tough battle with the Boxers not gaining control until the end.  Neither team led by more than five points in a first half that saw six ties and 10 lead changes.  Pacific trailed 25-24 with 6:20 left in the stanza when three-pointers by Wester and Berney fueled an 8-2 run that gave the Boxers a 32-27 lead.
 
Linfield came right back, tying the contest at 34-34 on Cory Hendryx's three-pointer.  Anderson followed with two charity shots with 55 seconds left that gave the Wildcats a 36-34 lead at the break.
 
Pacific scored the first two baskets of the second half and never trailed again.  A dunk by Mosley allowed the Boxers a 49-44 lead at the 12:41 mark, but the Wildcats responded to come back within on a pair of Anderson free throws midway through the period.
 
It would be free throws that iced it for the Boxers, connecting on 17 straight over the final nine minutes.  Pacific was up just one, 56-55, when Wester keyed a 6-0 run that ended on a Berney lay-in with 3:50 left to make it a 62-55 game.  The Boxers would not have to make another field goal the rest of the game, with the Boxers scoring 16 free throws the rest of the way.
 
Pacific returns to conference play on Friday with their toughest test of the season as No. 22 ranked Puget Sound comes to town.  Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m.  Linfield returns home to host Pacific Lutheran on Saturday.