Pacific Goes 0-for-Year in PCAA : San Jose State Beats the Tigers, 76-60; Streak Hits 22 Games

Denis Willens, the University of the Pacific coach, says his team “just got on the wrong kind of the roller coaster” this season.

The Tigers’ ride thudded to an end Wednesday night, but the longest losing streak in Division I lives on as Pacific fell to San Jose State, 76-60, in the opening round of the Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. tournament at the Forum.

Pacific (5-24 overall) became the only school in PCAA history to lose all 18 conference games this season, and the Tigers now have lost 22 in a row.

The Tigers didn’t go down easily, though. They led throughout much of the first half and had a 31-28 advantage at halftime. But San Jose (14-14, 8-10) rallied behind the play of Ricky Berry.

Berry, who threw in a 55-footer just before the buzzer ending the first half, kept the momentum going in the second half, scoring 24 points after the intermission. He finished with a career-high 36 points.

Berry hit a three-pointer with 12:44 remaining in the second half to tie the score, 43-43. Then he scored on a sweeping drive, a fallaway 12-foot jumper from the baseline and a free throw in the next three minutes as the Spartans moved out to a 52-47 lead. The game--just like the season--came apart after that for Pacific.

The Tigers, playing fast and loose like a team with nothing to lose, gave the Spartans a run for their money without much offensive production from their top scorer, Domingo Rosario. Rosario, who is averaging 15 points a game, didn’t score in the first half and had just three free throws before finally hitting a field goal with 4:14 left.

The Spartans will meet Utah State (18-9, 13-5) at 4 p.m. today.