LAS VEGAS, Nev. - JaQuori McLaughlin scored 22 points and made every key shot down the stretch, Miles Norris chipped in 19 points and Amadou Sow added a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds, as UC Santa Barbara won its fourth Big West Tournament Championship on Saturday night with a 79-63 win over UC Irvine, advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time in school history and the first since 2011. McLaughlin was named tournament MVP.

The Gauchos (22-4), the league's regular season champions, have won 18 of their last 19 games and, after a tight first half, dominated the Anteaters (18-9) in the second half.

UCSB led just 31-30 at halftime, but outscored UCI 48-33 in the second half to distance themselves and claim the fourth conference tournamen title in school history. 

"I'm so proud of this team," said head coach Joe Pasternack. "Through everything that has gone on in the last several months, they've honored the process and taken us to the NCAA Tournament. That says a lot about them as a group."

After leading by just one at the half, the Gauchos went on a 10-4 run to open the second half. Sow made a jump-hook in the lane and hit a free throw after he was fouled to push the lead to 41-34 with 16:33 to play. The teams traded baskets over the next several minutes, but a Devearl Ramsey jumper from just outside the left part of th key and a McLaughlin layup off a turnover made it a 47-38 game with 12:47 left.

Irvine scored the next four points, cutting the lead to 49-44 on a pair of free throws by Austin Johnson at the 11:10 mark, but McLaughlin responded with a three-point basket at 10:46 to push the advantage to 52-44. After a turnover, Robinson Idehen was fouled after collecting an offensive rebound. He made both free throws to make the score 54-44. Josh Pierre-Louis then forced a turnover by Johnson. He got the ball to McLaughlin on the right side, and the league's Most Valuable Player and Tournament MVP drained another three-pointer, making the score 57-44.

Collin Welp, who led all scorers with 22 points, missed a jump hook just outside the lane. Pierre-Louis rebounded the miss and got the ball into Idehen who hit a short jumper in the paint to stretch the lead to 59-44.

After Welp made a jumper in the key, McLaughlin responded with another three-pointer to make it a 16-point game at 64-48, with 6:12 to play. 

The Anteaters never got closer than 12 the rest of the way as the Gauchos fended off the two-time defending champions to secure their ticket to the Big Dance, 79-63. 

UCSB, which lost both regular season games to UCI to open the conference schedule in December, was a different team this time around. The Gauchos made 29-of-58 field goal attempts, 50.0%, and also outrebounded the best rebounding team in the conference, 34-30. In additon to Sow's 11 boards, Idehen had five, Pierre-Louis added four and Norris, Ramsey and Cyrus each had three.

In addition to tournament MVP McLaughlin, Sow and Pierre-Louis were named to the Big West All-Tournament Team.

Santa Barbara, a sure-handed team all year, had just seven turnovers, equaling a season-low.  

The Gauchos will move into the NCAA Tournament, which will be contested in Indiana. They will find out Sunday afternoon which venue they will compete in and who they will play.