EL PASO, Texas (AP) — Sam Willard had 23 points and 11 rebounds Friday night to lead Pacific to a 66-61 victory over UTEP in the season opener for both schools.
Jose Rivera added 17 points and Demetrece Young had 11 points, seven assists and six rebounds for the Tigers, who overcame a 36-25 halftime deficit. Rivera scored 14 of his points after halftime and Young’s 3-pointer with 1:44 remaining gave Pacific the lead for good at 62-59.
Randy Culpepper scored 13 points to lead the Miners, but he was held scoreless in the second half. Julyan Stone finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds for UTEP, playing its first game under coach Tim Floyd.
