Pacific 62, St. Joseph’s 50

STOCKTON, Calif. (AP)—The University of the Pacific scored the game’s final 12 points Saturday night to defeat St. Joseph’s 62-50 and hand the Hawks their first loss of the season.

Freshman forward Christian Maraker scored a game-high 17 points to lead Pacific to its fourth consecutive victory.

Sophomore forward Matt Kemper had 14 points and a game-high 15 rebounds for the Tigers, who also got 15 points from guard Demetrius Jackson. Maraker and Kemper combined for 10 of Pacific’s final 12 points as the Tigers (5-4) pulled away from a 50-50 tie in the final two minutes.

Guards Jameer Nelson (16 points), Pat Carroll (13) and Delonte West (12) scored in double figures for St. Joseph’s (7-1), which entered the game with its best start in 38 years.

The Hawks missed six consecutive free throws in the final 54 seconds to aid Pacific’s game-ending run, which included breakaway dunks by Kemper and Maraker in the final seconds.

Pacific scored nine consecutive points early in the first half to take a 38-33 lead, but the Tigers and Hawks never were separated by more than three points the rest of the way until the final minutes.

Nelson and West carried St. Joseph’s in the first half, combining for 22 points. The Hawks closed the half with a 5-0 run to tie the game for the fifth time 29-29 at the intermission.

Behind eight consecutive points from Jackson and two 3-point plays by Maraker, Pacific twice built a seven-point lead midway through the first half. But the Tigers only scored two baskets and seven points over the final nine minutes, 35 seconds of the half.