Box Score RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Amadou Sow scored a season-high 21 points and Miles Norris and Sekou Toure each made key baskets in the final minutes, to lead UC Santa Barbara to its school record 13th-consecutive win, 72-68 on Friday at UC Riverside.
The Gauchos (17-3 overall, 11-2 Big West) led the Highlanders (10-7, 5-4) by as many as 11 points in the second half, but a late rally made it a close game at the end.
UCSB took a 57-46 lead with 9:56 to play when Devearl Ramsey drained a three-point basket from the top of the key. However, UCR went on an 11-0 run, capped by a Jock Perry layup, to tie the score at 57 with 7:02 remaining.
But Santa Barbara took control at that point. A short jumper by Toure from just outside the right side of the key broke the tie at 6:31. After a defensive stop, Sow converted a UCR turnover into a short jumper, pushing the lead to 61-57 with 5:26 on the clock.
After Anze Chidom missed a hook shot in the lane, Flynn Cameron fouled JaQuori McLaughlin at the 4:51 mark. The Gauchos got the ball into Ramsey who dropped a pass into Sow. Sow broke free for a lay-up, giving his team a 63-57 lead.
Perry quickly followed by driving into the paint, off of a pair of screens, and in for an uncontested lay-up, shrinking the Gaucho lead to 63-59.
Following a timeout, Sow had a layup blocked by Oliver Hayes-Brown. Zion Pullin collected the rebound and, ultimately, he made a layup, to carve the advantage to 63-61.
On the other end, McLaughlin was fouled by Dominick Pickett. He made 1-of-2 free throws to push the advantage to 64-61 at the 2:59 mark.
Pickett missed a short jumper and it was rebounded by Toure, who was fouled by Hayes-Brown. Toure made 1-of-2 from the line with 2:18 remaining, giving the Gauchos a 65-61 lead. Chidom scored on a basket inside the key just 19 second later, at 1:59, to cut the led to 65-63.
Toure, howver, wasn't done as he nailed a long two-point basket from the right corner with 1:34 left, giving Santa Barbara a 67-63 edge.
Flynn Cameron responded for Riverside with a three-pointer from the right corner, pulling his team within 67-66 with 1:15 remaining.
However, with the shot clock running down, Norris accepted a pass from Ramsey and calmly drilled a three-pointer from about the top of the key, stretching the Gauchos' lead to 70-66 with 0:46 on the clock.
Pullin made a pair of free throws with 40 seconds to play, closing the gap to 70-68, but a pair of free throws by Sow in the closing seconds gave UCSB a 72-68 win.
In addition to a school record 13-game winning streak, the Gauchos have won a school record 7-straight true road games and a school record 11-straight Big West Conference games.
Sow made 9-of-12 field goals and finished with eight rebounds to go with his season-high 21 points. He now has 1,062 career points, 27th in school history. McLaughlin added 15 points and seven assists. He has now scored 1,031 career points, 29th all-time. He needs just two points to move into 30th all-time.
Ramsey had 13 points and Norris added 11. Toure had eight points and four rebounds in a season-high 22:17 off the bench.
As a team, UCSB made 28-of-53 shots overall, 52.8%, and outrebounded the Highlanders, 32-25. The Gauchos also made five three-point baskets, including three by Norris.
Riverside drained 27-of-55 field goal attempts, 49.1%, but never led by more than one-point.
The teams will play again on Saturday at the SRC Arena. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. and it will be carried on ESPN3.
