LA VERNE- The University of La Verne men's basketball team kicked off its regular season with a pair of wins over the weekend. 

The Leopards scored a 72-63 overtime victory against Pacific (Ore.) Friday evening before a 70-64 victory over Willamette Saturday. 

The Leos (2-0) recovered from a slow start versus the Boxers (1-1) Friday. La Verne trailed 24-21 after going 10-27 from the field any not attempting a free throw in the first half. But the Leopards put up 40 points in the second half and nearly won in regulation before a buzzer-beating three-pointer from Pacific forced overtime. A convincing 11-2 scoring advantage in overtime secured victory for the Leos.

Senior guard Ron See led the Leopards with 17 points from 7-for-9 shooting and also led the team in assists with five. Senior point guard Alonzo Young contributed across the board with 10 points, four assists, a pair of steals and a block in the win. Young and junior center Niall Harrison both had seven boards. 

La Verne shot 27-for-60 from the floor and 15-21 from the charity stripe. The Leos held a 35-29 rebounding advantage, a 26-14 advantage in points in the paint, and won the turnover battle 17-14.

Saturday's game with Willamette was tightly contested with seven lead changes and four ties before a Leopard victory. 

The Bearcats held a 30-28 advantage at the break, but hot shooting from the home team, including a 5-for-9 mark from behind the three-point line, propelled La Verne to the win.

Senior forward Brett Stephan piled up 27 points for the Leos, including 8-for-11 shooting and a 6-for-6 performance from the free throw line going 5-for-7 from behind the arc. See added 15 points and Young chipped in four assists. Junior forward Josiah Sukumaran grabbed a team-high six rebounds off the bench.

La Verne will travel to Owings Mills, Md. for the Hoopsville National Invitational Classic Nov. 22-23. With five 2013 NCAA tournament qualifiers, it is considered one of the top Division III tournaments in the country. The Leos are scheduled to take on Ohio Wesleyan University Nov. 22 at 9 a.m. before a game with Keystone College (Pa.) Nov. 23 at 12 p.m.