Recap: Pacific vs. UC Riverside

Stockton, CA (Sports Network) - Lorenzo McCloud scored 17 points to help the Pacific Tigers fend off the UC Riverside Highlanders for a 63-58 victory in a Big West Conference matchup at the Alex G. Spanos Center.

McCloud went 6-of-14 from the field for Pacific (11-8, 5-2 Big West) as it picked up its fifth win in its last five games. No other Tiger reached double- figures, but Khalil Kelley, Travis Fulton, and Sama Taku chipped in nine points each.

Chris Patton led UC Riverside (5-14, 2-5) with 17 points and Taylor Johns provided a spark off the bench with 12 points in 21 minutes. Josh Fox produced eight points, nine boards, and four assists as the Highlanders suffered their fourth loss in five games.

After leading by as many as 10, Pacific took a 31-24 lead into halftime with the held of 48.1 percent shooting from the floor. Patton, Robert Smith, and Johns scored six points apiece for the Highlanders in the opening 20 minutes, but the rest of the squad went 2-of-13 from the field during that span.

The Tigers pushed their lead up to 15 with the held of a 12-5 run in the early stages of the second stanza. UC Riverside rallied back and Johns put in a layup that cut the deficit down to a single point, 57-56. Fulton answered with a 3-pointer for Pacific, which hung on for the win after McCloud made a pair of free throws to seal it with a second left on the clock.

Despite the loss, UC Riverside held a 31-20 advantage in the rebounding battle. The Tigers converted 18 turnovers into 16 points and both sides finished with 20 points in the paint.