SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The UC Santa Barbara Men's Basketball team (7-6) were back in The Thunderdome for their Big West home opener against the Tritons of UC San Diego. Despite the first half slump, the Gauchos made every effort to come back for the win, but their efforts fell short as UC Santa Barbara dropped this game 72-79.
 
FROM HEAD COACH JOE PASTERNACK
"Our first half was not good. I told our team this is 100 percent on me. I am our leader and I didn't have us ready to play. We didn't play with any passion or heart in the first half, and it is all about our attitude and how we respond. In the second half, I thought we showed some emotion, Ben especially. He came in and played for the name on the front of the jersey. Our guys rallied. It is very disappointing where we are right now, but I take full responsibility."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
As each game started during Big West play, neither the Tritons or the Gauchos could create much space from their opponent in the first eight minutes. However, the Tritons started to gain some momentum which included a 10-point lead with seven minutes left in the first half. From there, the Tritons kept building on their lead resulting in the Gauchos being down at the half with a score of 24-45.
 
Once the second half began, the Gauchos worked on closing the gap. They got a few points on the Tritons while preventing them from scoring for over five minutes. From there, the Gauchos made key shots to put them within 11, and they didn't stop there. With a steal and dunk from Josh Pierre-Louis, The Thunderdome lit up and helped the home team get within eight of the visitors. This last-minute push still wasn't enough to help the Gauchos get in the win column as UC Santa Barbara lost their Big West home opener with a score of 72-79.
 
LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS

• Ajay Mitchell led the team in scoring tonight as he racked up 14 points, shooting at 60 percent from the field. To go along with that, he was also tied for the most assists on the team with four.
• Ben Shtolzberg had his best night in a Gaucho uniform, contributing 13 points while making three of his four attempted shots from beyond the arc. Along with that, he added on three assists and a steal.
• Yohan Traore had another night with double-digit points as he put up 11 points.
• Josh Pierre-Louis also assisted the team's efforts. He secured nine points tonight while leading the team in rebounds with five. He also tied Mitchell for the most assists on the team with four.  

UP NEXT
The Gauchos will be on the road for the first leg of the Blue-Green Rivalry as they take on Cal Poly. Tip-off will be at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 6 with a live stream available through ESPN+.