Angwin, Calif. – OUAZ men's basketball opened the 2026-27 season in impressive fashion on Thursday afternoon, defeating Pacific Union College 92-71 on the road inside Covered Wagon Gym. The Spirit begin the year 1-0 after shooting better than 51 percent from the field and knocking down 13 three-pointers in the season-opening victory.
OUAZ wasted little time taking control, racing out to a 16-3 advantage less than seven minutes into the contest. The Spirit maintained their lead throughout the opening half and carried a 44-34 advantage into the locker room. Pacific Union trimmed the deficit to single digits early in the second half, but OUAZ responded with a series of scoring runs and led by as many as 23 points before securing the 21-point win.
Trevor Thompson led the Spirit offense with a game-high 30 points, connecting on eight three-pointers while adding four assists. Max Mkpa recorded a highly efficient double-double with 13 points on a perfect 6-for-6 shooting performance and grabbed nine rebounds. Tyran Simpson added 16 points, including four made three-pointers, while Carter Gittens posted 15 points, six rebounds, and three assists.
As a team, OUAZ shot 51.4 percent from the floor and outrebounded Pacific Union 35-23. The Spirit also forced 11 turnovers while committing just eight of their own.
OUAZ will return to action on Friday, Oct. 23, when the Spirit face Pacific Union once again in Angwin. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. local time.
