NORTHRIDGE, Calif. – The UC Santa Barbara Men's Basketball team (11-6) hit the road as they made the trip to the Premier America Credit Union Arena to take on the Matadors of CSUN. It was the best showing of the year for the Gauchos as they came home with the 97-69 win. This win also extended Santa Barbara's win streak to four, putting them at 4-3 in Big West play.
 
FROM HEAD COACH JOE PASTERNACK
"Our guys did an excellent job of defending and rebounding. This is one of the top rebounding teams in our league, and that was a huge key for us. Defensively, I thought our guys competed really hard. We have to keep doing that because that will be the difference for us as we keep getting better one day at a time."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Although the Matadors were the first ones on the scoreboard, it didn't hinder the Gauchos. They put up back-to-back baskets to take the very early lead from one of the hottest teams in The Big West. That wasn't all. UC Santa Barbara went on a 19-4 run over the Matadors, going up by 15 with 12 minutes left to play in the first half. The Gauchos didn't let up from there. With Yohan Traore leading the charge, the Gauchos went up by 22. By the time the first half ended, UC Santa Barbara kept their dominant lead as they headed into the locker room with a score of 49-28.
 
Once the second half began, the Gauchos picked up where they left off. Their lead grew to 25 before the Matadors could respond. Even when CSUN made a basket, UC Santa Barbara would come back with one of their own. The Blue and Gold grew their lead to 31 with Cole Anderson making his shots from three while Josh Pierre-Louis and Ariel Bland put in work in the paint. The Matadors made one last push to try to come back, but it didn't help them. When the game was finished, UC Santa Barbara remained on top as they ended the night with the 97-69 win.
 
LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS

• Yohan Traore led the Gauchos tonight in scoring and rebounds. He secured 19 points, shooting at 66.7 percent from the field, while grabbing nine boards.
• Cole Anderson was elite from the three-point line. He put up 15 points tonight with all five of his baskets coming from beyond the arc. He also helped out the team by adding on three assists and three rebounds.
• Josh Pierre-Louis filled up the stat sheet. Not only did he contribute 12 points, but he also added on seven rebounds, six assists, two steals and a block. His shooting was also on point as he shot at 75 percent from the field.
• Ariel Bland also racked up double-digit points. He ended the night with 12 while also adding on six rebounds.
• Ajay Mitchell was tied for the most assists on the team as he contributed six. He also led the team in blocks with two.
• The Gauchos had a phenomenal night on defense as they held the Matadors to 15.8 percent from three. Not only that, but UC Santa Barbara out-rebounded CSUN 44 to 33 and held them to 39.1 percent from the field. 

UP NEXT
The Gauchos will head back to The Thunderdome as they get ready to take on the Titans of Cal State Fullerton. Tip-off will be at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 20 as they play on Spectrum Sports. For those who don't have that provider, the game can still be streamed through ESPN+.