Pacific Tiger guard #10 TJ Wainwright shoots a midrange jumper to extend the Tigers’ lead against the Seattle University Redhawks, 55-48, on January 24th, 2026, in the Alex G. Spanos Center. (Photo by Michael Villanueva)
By Michael Villanueva
STOCKTON – The Pacific men’s basketball team defeated Seattle University 56-54 on Saturday evening at the Alex G. Spanos Center, improving to 9-0 at home and 5-4 in WCC play, enough for fifth place in the league. Isaac Jack and TJ Wainwright led the way, delivering big plays that helped the Tigers withstand Seattle’s late surge. Jack finished with 14 points, 8 boards, and 2 blocks, and Wainwright added 15 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals to help Pacific remain unbeaten at home.
Pacific, which is 9-0 at home this season, welcomed West Coast Conference newcomer Seattle to Stockton. Seattle (14-8, 3-6 WCC) entered the game after defeating LMU 69-59 at home on Wednesday, and they had also achieved big upsets against Stanford, Washington, UTEP, Texas State, Denver, UTSA, and UC Davis in non-conference play.
Pacific is currently ranked 109th out of 365 teams in the NCAA NET Rankings, while the Redhawks are 118th. The WCC has six teams in the top 120, with Gonzaga leading the way at No. 4. This was the first game between the two teams since Pacific defeated Seattle 74-54 at home on Dec. 16, 1984. It was the 13th meeting between the two schools, dating back to the 1956-57 season, with Pacific leading 3-1 at home.
The Tigers began WCC play against the Redhawks at 4 p.m., eager to defend their home court, where they had been dominant all season.
Pacific’s starting lineup of TJ Wainwright, Justin Rochelin, Isaac Jack, Elias Ralph, and Jaden Clayton. Elias Ralph entered the game leading the Tigers with 17.0 points and 6.7 rebounds per game, while also ranking in the top five in the WCC in scoring, minutes played, and free throw %.
Seattle went with Maleek Arington, Will Heimbroot, Austin Maurer, Junseok Yeo, and Brayden Maldonado. Maldonado entered the game as the Redhawks’ top scorer, averaging 14.9 points per game on 43.6 percent shooting from the field.
Pacific quickly took control of the game, going on a 5-0 run in the first three minutes. Justin Rochelin began the Tigers’ scoring surge with back-to-back three-pointers, giving him eight points. Seattle responded with three three-pointers in four attempts, bringing the score back to 18-15.
Pacific then spread the floor offensively, attacking the paint, with Jack making huge efforts. The Tigers also won the rebounding battle 19-12, scored 20 points in the paint, and had 11 assists to Seattle’s four. The first half ended with Pacific leading 33-18.
Seattle climbed into Pacific’s lead in the second half, thanks to early mistakes. A 10-0 Redhawks run pushed the score to 35-28, and they hit three of four three-pointers down the stretch to keep within the game’s reach. By the 13-minute mark, Pacific led 42-35, with a 31-20 rebounding advantage and 14 total turnovers.
TJ Wainwright made the team’s first three-pointer since the first half, helping Pacific expand its advantage to 53-43 with three minutes left.
Seattle made one more push, going on a 17-4 scoring run over six minutes to narrow its lead to 56-55 with 13.9 seconds left. Brayden Maldonado led Seattle with 20 points, 6 of 12 from three, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal. Despite the Redhawks’ late surge, Pacific hung on for a 56-54 victory, thanks in large part to Jack and Wainwright’s toughness and key plays, keeping the Tigers flawless at home.
The Tigers are now on a two-game winning streak, remain undefeated at home, and are in fifth place in the WCC. Pacific will host the Portland Pilots at the Alex G. Spanos Center in Stockton, California, on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, at 7 p.m.