STOCKTON, Calif. (Interstat) — David Fuchs scored 29 points and San Francisco used a dominant first-half offensive display to build a cushion it would never relinquish, defeating Pacific 72-61 in a West Coast Conference men’s basketball game Saturday night at the A.C. Spanos Center.

The Dons (16-15, 8-8 WCC) shot with remarkable efficiency in the opening period, connecting on 57.1% of their field goals and hitting 6 of 11 from three-point range to take a 42-35 lead into halftime. That offensive execution proved decisive, as the Tigers (17-14, 9-7) struggled to find any consistent rhythm from the perimeter all evening.

Pacific finished the game a dismal 2 for 17 from beyond the arc, an 11.8% shooting performance that crippled its ability to mount a sustained comeback. The Tigers also committed 12 turnovers, which San Francisco converted into 13 points. Conversely, the Dons committed only nine turnovers and managed an offensive rating of 111.0 points per 100 possessions, compared to Pacific’s 88.4.

The most important stretch of the game came late in the first half, after Pacific had trimmed an early deficit to 21-19. San Francisco responded with a decisive 12-2 run over a three-minute span to seize control. Fuchs, a 6-foot-9 forward from Vienna, Austria, was the catalyst, scoring seven points during the surge, including a three-pointer. The run was capped by a three-pointer from Legend Smiley, giving the Dons a 33-21 advantage with just over six minutes remaining in the half. Pacific never got closer than five points the rest of the way.

Fuchs was the game’s standout performer, adding his 29 points on 10-of-15 shooting in just 30 minutes of action. He also contributed an assist and was a central figure in San Francisco’s early offensive explosion. Tyrone Riley, a guard from Watts, California, added 12 points and two blocks for the Dons, while Smiley chipped in 11 points. Guillermo Diaz Graham, the 7-foot center from Spain, anchored the defense with three blocks.

Pacific was led by Elias Ralph of Okotoks, Canada, who scored 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Isaac Jack, from Port Alberni, Canada, provided a boost inside with 13 points. Point guard Jaden Clayton of Whitby, Canada, dished out 10 assists but was held to eight points on 2-of-7 shooting and was hampered by the team’s overall shooting woes.

Despite being outrebounded 41-30 and allowing 12 offensive boards to the Tigers, San Francisco’s defensive discipline and shot-making from distance made the difference. The Dons finished 10 of 23 from three-point range, while their defense consistently forced Pacific into contested jump shots.

The victory avenged a narrow 87-82 loss to the Tigers in San Francisco just four weeks prior and snapped a two-game losing skid for the Dons. For Pacific, the loss was a missed opportunity to solidify its position in the upper tier of the conference standings ahead of the postseason tournament.

A crowd of 2,597 watched as San Francisco methodically closed out the game in the second half, maintaining a double-digit lead for much of the period. The Dons’ lead never dipped below nine points in the final 12 minutes, as Pacific could not string together enough successful possessions to apply serious pressure.

The game was a tale of contrasting offensive styles. San Francisco’s ball movement and perimeter shooting created open looks, resulting in 47.1% shooting for the game. Pacific, reliant on interior scoring and second-chance opportunities from its rebounding advantage, could not compensate for its icy outside shooting, finishing at 40% overall from the field.

With the regular season concluding, both teams now look toward the WCC tournament, where offensive execution and the ability to withstand defensive pressure will be at a premium. San Francisco will hope the scoring prowess displayed by Fuchs and the timely shooting from its guards carries forward, while Pacific must find a way to generate consistent offense beyond the paint to make a deeper run.