La Verne, CA - The University of La Verne men's basketball team opened up their 2022-2023 season at home as they welcomed the Cal Miramar Falcons to The Tents. A well-rounded roster of newcomers, the Leopards used tonight to perform after a long preseason of preparation. Feeding off of an enthusiastic crowd, the Leopards started the game early jumping on the Falcons right out of the gate.

Kyler Harvey scored the Leopards first points of the season off of an assist from Tavares James to give LA Verne an early 3-0 lead. The Leopards contained the Falcons on the defensive side of the court as they forced them into many shots that went unconverted.  Establishing an inside presence early, the Leopards went to big man Brandin Ziegler, as he led the La Verne with 11 points and 4 rebounds in first-half action. Combatting a first-half run by Miramar, La Verne led by sixteen points at halftime, with the score 48-32.

La Verne would turn up the defensive intensity in the second half of play, forcing Miramar into rushed shots that would lead to fastbreak points for the Leopards. La Verne would shoot 50% from the arc in the second half and 83% from the foul line, as the finished off Cal Miramar by a final score of 97-75. Kyler Harvey led the Leopards with 16 points and 8 rebounds. John Malone II led the Leopards in rebounds with 9 boards in the game.

La Verne returns to action on November 10th at Southern Utah. The game starts at 6:00 PM.