SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (Jan. 7, 2023) – The first game of 2023 was on the road for UC Santa Barbara Men's Basketball (12-2, 3-0 Big West) as they headed North to Cal Poly as they took on the Mustangs in the Blue-Green Rivalry. Despite the low-scoring first half, the Gauchos were able to make a comeback to defeat the Mustangs on the road for their eighth-straight meeting, grabbing a 62-57 win in San Luis Obispo. 

HOW IT HAPPENED
The first half of play was very low scoring for both teams, with neither side scoring more than 20 points. Along with that, both teams combined for a total of 19 fouls, showing the defensive efforts from both teams. When the teams cleared the court for halftime, the score was 19-16 in favor of the Mustangs.

In this first half, the Gauchos were led by senior Josh Pierre-Louis. The New Jersey native finished the first half with four points while also grabbing four rebounds and two steals.

Once the second half began, UC Santa Barbara came out with a renewed fire. Halfway through the second, they went on a 12-2 run to take the lead over the home team to keep themselves in the game.

LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS

• Miles Norris became one of the impact players in the second half for the Gauchos. He ended up leading the team in scoring, registering 16 points in this game. He shot 5-for-7 from the field. To go along with that, he was tied for the most rebounds on the team, grabbing six boards.
• Ajay Mitchell continues to be an offensive power for the Gauchos. Despite having three points at halftime, he ended the game with 15 points while going 7-of-8 from the charity stripe. He also led the team in assists with five while adding on two steals.
• Andre Kelly ended the game in double-digit points as he put in work in the paint in the second half. He tallied 10 points in this one, going 5-of-8 from the field. 

UP NEXT
The Gauchos will continue with their stint on the road as they head to Bakersfield to take on the Roadrunners of Cal State Bakersfield. This road game will take place on Wednesday, Jan. 11 with a 7 p.m. tipoff. The game will be available for fans through ESPN+ with live stats also available.