Elks Exact Revenge in Napa Valley Thriller

ANGWIN, Calif. — The Stanton University Elks traveled north to beautiful Napa Valley on Thursday night, looking to settle a score against their California Pacific Conference (Cal Pac) rivals, the Pacific Union College Pioneers.

In their previous matchup this season, the Pioneers had traveled down to Elk territory and pulled off a stunning upset. This time, however, the tables turned. In a contest that came down to the wire at the Covered Wagon, Stanton held their nerve to defeat PUC by a single point, 76-75.

Flipping the Script

The game was a tight affair from the opening tip. Stanton took a narrow 36-33 lead into halftime and managed to hold off a relentless second-half surge from the Pioneers, who outscored the Elks 42-40 in the final period. Despite the pressure, Stanton's efficient free-throw shooting (83.3%) proved to be the difference-maker in securing the victory.

Top Performers

Stanton's offense was powered by a balanced attack and clutch performances from key contributors:

• Nigel McKay: Led the way for the Elks with a game-high 21 points. McKay was efficient from everywhere on the floor, shooting 6-for-12 from the field, 3-for-6 from deep, and a perfect 6-for-6 from the charity stripe.

• Yasuhide Hino: Provided a massive spark off the bench, dropping 16 points in just 20 minutes. Hino was nearly automatic, shooting 5-for-6 from the field while dishing out a team-high 3 assists.

• Rafael Gomez: Anchored the paint with 12 points and a team-high 8 rebounds, providing critical second-chance opportunities and defensive stability.

• Duje Srzic: Contributed a solid 9 points and 4 rebounds, going a perfect 4-for-4 from the free-throw line.

Up Next

The Elks (5-15, 3-4 Cal Pac) will remain in Northern California as they continue their road trip. They travel further north to Redding to face off against another Cal Pac rival, the Simpson University Red Hawks.