SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – UC Santa Barbara piled-up a 17-point second half lead, lost it, and then came back to defeat UC Irvine 64-61 in a Big West Conference game on Saturday night, 64-61, for its third consecutive win. 

The Gauchos (16-8 overall, 5-4 Big West), led 35-24 after the first half, but the defending Big West champion Anteaters (15-10, 7-2) were up to the task in the second half, taking the lead. 

After Matt Freeman made a three-point basket with 18:32 to play, giving Santa Barbara a 41-24 lead, Irvine went to work, going on a slow progression. Ultimately going on a 34-13 run to take a 58-55 lead on a basket by Evan Leonard with 2:42 to play in the game. When the Anteaters claimed the lead at the 3:30 mark, it was their largest advantage in the second half. They jumped out 4-0 early in the game. 

"Irvine is the class of the league," said UCSB head coach Joe Pasternack. "They are so tough. They have four senior starters and they are so good. I'm proud of our guys. They have battled through so much. So many injuries."

The Gauchos responded. Max Heidegger made a pair of free throws with 2:06 left, making it a 58-56 game. After Brad Greene missed the front end of a 1-and-1, Amadou Sow collected the rebound. Sow was fouled and made both free throws, giving Santa Barbara a 59-58 lead with 1:29 remaining in the game. 

On the next possession, Heidegger was fouled and made 1-of-2 free throws to give his team a 60-58 advantage.

Colin Welp missed a three-point attempt with 36 seconds left. JaQuori McLaughlin rebounded and was immediately fouled. He made both free throws, pushing the lead to 62-58 with 16 seconds in the game. 

Welp, the son of former Washington star and NBA player Christian Welp, drained a three-point basket from way above the top of the key, pulling his team to within 62-61 with 13 second left in the game. 

Irvine fouled Devearl Ramsey on the inbounds pass, sending the junior to the free throw line. Ramsey, who shoots free throws over 80%, drained both shots, giving  the Gauchos a a 64-61 lead in the final seconds. 

Eyssau Worku, one of UCI's key players, took the final shot, a 24-footer from the right corner, but it missed and the final horn sounded. 

Sow finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds to lead UCSB. McLaughlin was the only other player in double-figures with 11. McLaughlin also made 7-of-8 free throws and the Gauchos were 21-of-25 as a team, including 9-of-10 in the final two minutes.

"We really, really, really, concentrate on free throws," Pasternack said. "Free throws win games. That is a fact."

The Gauchos handed the Anteaters just their third loss in 25 conference games.

"I'm proud of our guys," Pasternack said. "We've battled through so many injuries and just stuff that goes on during a season. We lost three games in a row and when you do that, your friends are not your friends anymore. Now, we've won three in a row and our friends are coming back."

Since dropping three consecutive games in January, UCSB has won three straight and four out of five games.

"We need to keep winning in February so that we can be at our best in March," Pasternack said. "If we can focus on winning at the right time, we have a chance to be at our best in March. That's not guaranteed, but it is what we strive for."

Santa Barbara will travel to UC Davis on Thursday, Feb. 13 for a 7:00 p.m. game against the Aggies. That game will be the team's only game of the week.