Box Score RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Gabe Vincent scored 18 points and became the 28th player in program history to hit the 1,000-point mark but it wasn't enough as UC Santa Barbara dropped a 65-55 decision at UC Riverside.
The Gauchos (3-14 overall, 1-4 Big West) couldn't overcome a second half stretch that saw them miss 15 out of 16 field goal attempts as the Highlanders (5-11, 3-2) won their third consecutive game.
"Once again we played hard, we scrapped and we did some good things," said UCSB head coach Bob Williams. "But it's almost impossible to overcome that kind of shooting and some of the bad turnovers we had that led to easy baskets for them."
The Gauchos made 5-of-10 shots to start the second half and when Clifton Powell hit a pair of free throws with 12:06 remaining, Riverside's lead was just 43-39. But a Max Heidegger three-pointer was their only basket over a nearly 10 minute span. By the time Vincent made a lay-up and was fouled with 2:36 left, the lead had ballooned to 57-48.
"You've got to give them (Riverside) some of the credit," Williams said. "but from our end, we got a lot of open looks and just couldn't make shots."
The Highlanders pushed the lead to 63-51 on a three-pointer by Dikymbe Martin with 1:46 remaining and UCSB couldn't get closer than nine the rest of the way.
The Gauchos finished the game making just 18-of-59 shots, 30.5%, and they were even worse from outside the three-point arc hitting 5-of-30, 16.7%. Once again, they won the rebound battle by a 41-36 margin, but they were outscored in points off of turnovers, 23-7.
In addition to Vincent's 18 points, Alex Hart added 10 points and seven rebounds. Eric Childress had nine points, four assists and three steals while J.D. Slajchert had a career-high 11 rebounds.
The Highlanders made 45.5% of their field goals overall and 33.3% from three-point range. They had five players score in double-figures and were led by Chance Murray with 15 points and seven boards. Secean Johnson had 11 points and eight rebounds.
UCSB will return home and host Cal State Northridge on Wednesday, Jan. 25 in a 7:00 p.m. game at the Thunderdome.
