MESA, Ariz. --- The Park University Gilbert men's basketball team (1-0) defeated the West Coast Baptist College Eagles (0-1) by a score of 105-45, Wednesday afternoon at Arizona Athletic Grounds in Mesa, Ariz.
The Buccaneers opened the 2025-26 season in dominant fashion, resetting the school record for single-game margin of victory with their 60-point win over the Eagles. Park-Gilbert also tied the single-game school record for total rebounds with 59.
This game saw a complete team effort with five Buccaneers reaching double-digit scoring figures, and three with 15+ points. The Bucs, who shot 51.8% from the field in this game, attacked the interior offensively with 42 points in the paint and capitalized on the Eagles' 19 turnovers.
Leading the way in scoring for Park-Gilbert was guard Tanner Pate, who finished with 17 points. Pate had a slow start to this contest, finishing with six points and a 30% field goal percentage in the first half. But the redshirt junior found his form in the second half, especially from downtown where Pate sunk three of four triples.
Guard Toate Sika provided a strong two-way presence in this game with a 16-point, 11-rebound double-double along with four assists and a steal. Another strong two-way performance came from forward Tyson Banks, who dropped 15 points and grabbed three rebounds. Mahlik Lindsey had a solid all-around game with 10 points, six rebounds, and six assists.
The Park-Gilbert bench contributed 41 points, and plenty of newcomers had an impressive debut with the Buccaneers. Despite only logging nine minutes, freshman guard Stephan Ironshell had an efficient 13 points shooting 5-5 from the field and 3-3 from downtown. Junior transfer Eli Fleming and senior guard Latrell Jones also provided sparks, with eight and seven points respectively.
The Bucs now hit the road for Idaho, as they return to action this Tuesday, Nov. 4 at 8 p.m. MST when they face the Idaho State University Bengals in their season opener. This game will be played at the Reed Gym in Pocatello, Idaho.
