TACOMA, Wash. — Host Pacific Lutheran broke open a close game with a second half blitz to post a 73-61 men's basketball victory over Pacific on Saturday night at Olson Gymnasium.

The Lutes improved to 10-5 overall and to 3-3 in the Northwest Conference. Pacific dropped its fourth straight contest to move to 8-7 on the season and to 2-4 in league play.

Pacific led for most of the first half, by as much as eight points after Rafe King's trey with ten minutes left (31-23). But the Lutes started chipping away at the margin and took the lead on Brandon Lester's three-pointer with 3:49 before intermission (31-30).

They would never trail again.

PLU led at the break, 41-35 and pushed that margin to ten points early in the second half on a three-pointer by Tyson Birrer (55-44) with 13:04 to go. They continued to advance that lead as the Boxers went cold from the field, leading by as many as 21 points (68-47) with just over six minutes left.

The Boxers warmed up a bit from there, getting to within 11 points (70-59), but they would get no closer.

K.C. Harrison led the Boxers with 21 points, hitting eight of 16 shots and four of seven from three-point range. DeVon Pouncey added 11 points and six rebounds, but the visitors hit only 40 percent of their shots from the field and for the first time this year was outrebounded, 36-32.

Lester led the Lutes with 22 points, nailing seven of ten shots including four treys. PLU shot 50 percent from the field and converted 11 of 19 trey attempts.

Pacific returns home next weekend, hosting Lewis & Clark on Friday and Linfield on Saturday at the Stoller Center.