Pacific men's basketball last beat Gonzaga in 1976. Here are 4 tidbits before Saturday's game
The University of the Pacific welcomes a high-profile foe in No. 6 Gonzaga when the two teams meet on Saturday for the 22nd time.
For the past few decades, the Tigers have fallen short against the Bulldogs. The most recent closest margin came in 2018 when Pacific lost 71-61.
The last time Pacific tasted a sweet victory over Gonzaga, times were different. The year was 1976 and the Tigers were rising stars in the Pacific Coast Athletic Association.
Read on about other fun facts from that basketball season, when the Tigers dominated the Bulldogs with 70-60 win.
Myron Jordan ruled the Tigers
In the 1976-77 season, Myron Jordan was the face of the Tigers. He averaged 13.8 points per game and shot over 50% from the field. Jordan was the only Pacific player to make the All-PCAA 1st team and was the lone Tiger to get drafted during the 1977 NBA Draft. Jordan was drafted in the sixth round by the Portland Trail Blazers but didn’t play any further than his rookie year.
Pacific's roster included a Parade All-American
Senior center for the 1976-77 Pacific team, Steve Manker was the only player on the team to be named a High School Parade All-American. This honor is an annual selection of the top boys' basketball players in the U.S.
Greats like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Earl Jones earned this distinction. Manker joined the long list of star athletes while he was playing prep hoops in his hometown of Des Moines, Iowa. The 7-foot forward averaged about four points a game for the Tigers.
Pacific had one other big upset
The top dog of men’s basketball in the PCAA during 1976 was Long Beach State. Led by the 1976-77 PCAA MVP Micheal Wiley, the Beach finished the season with a 21-8 overall record. Pacific handed Long Beach State one of their losses winning a close game, 63-62 on Feb. 12, 1977.
Pacific women's basketball competes in NorCal Conference
On the women’s side, the Pacific women’s basketball team embarked on its second season after being established in 1975. The Tigers competed in the NorCal Conference as a Division II program alongside Fresno State, Saint Mary's, UC Davis, Nevada, and San Jose State.
Record reporter Shannon Belt covers sports. She can be reached at sbelt@recordnet.com or on Twitter @ShannonBelt3. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record.
This article originally appeared on The Record: Pacific last beat Gonzaga in 1976. 4 tidbits about UOP that season
