Pacific: 2012-13 Big West Champions

The Pacific Tigers defeated the UC Irvine Anteaters, 64-55, to win the Big West championship and clinch a spot in the NCAA tournament.

Pacific started out dominating the game, allowing the Anteaters to score just 25.9 percent of their field goals in the first half. They went into halftime up 30-21, but UC Irvine tried to mount a comeback. They used a 7-2 run early in the second half to cut the deficit down to four points, but that's the closest they ever got. The Anteaters only held the lead once in this game, way back at the 16:29 mark in the first half.

Tony Gill came off the bench to score 19 points, and Lorenzo McCloud added 16. The Tigers had their own issues finding the bucket, shooting 39.6 percent from the field. Daman Starring and Chris McNealy led UCI with 19 and 12 points, respectively.

This is Pacific's eighth appearance in the NCAA tournament, and their first since 2006. In their last tourney appearance, they lost to Boston College in the first round.

Long time comin'

The last time we won at Spanos Center was on February 14, 2002. Valentine's Day. I was still in my senior year of high school, still traumatized from being treated like a piece of meat by my Intermediate Algebra teacher. If I could relieve those days again, I would have Lucy the Diclonius' personality. I'm still in a bit of an agitated mood that the Tigers of the University of the Pacific defeated our guys last year in the Big West Championship Game.

See, when I saw Bob Thomason (the Riley Wallace of the Big West) get lifted into the air, I was furious. When the PA announcer said Larry Reynolds's name as part of introducing our team (that was with Jibril Hodges and Shawn Hawkins), I yelled out "Thanks for the memories!" Unfortunately (or rather, fortunately), Vic Cegles came in and let Coach Reynolds finish the last year of his current contract.

It turned out to be a smart move, in spite of a early "here-we-go-again" rusty stumble. We won the Big West regular season title, and blackwashed Pacific, rocking them at the Walter Pyramid, and then defeating the Tigers in Spanos Center for the first time in over five years, 82-76.

I knew that our team was capable of running the tables. This was a great warmup, and the next match would be against the scum that is UC Irvine. I plan to tear my shirt off if we score over 100 in the game. And I will probably stick to my Red Bull or Rockstar next time. No more of that carbonated cough syrup from SoBe. Please.