SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – The UC Santa Barbara Men's Basketball team (8-6) was back on the road for this Big West contest with the Cal Poly Mustangs. Both teams were in search of their first conference win to go along with such a heated rivalry. But once the final buzzer sounded, it was UC Santa Barbara who came out on top as they took down Cal Poly for their 13th-straight win over the Mustangs with a score of 61-52.
FROM HEAD COACH JOE PASTERNACK
"I thought this was our best defensive performance that we have had all year. We definitely got better in the last 24 hours."
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Gauchos started this game a little slow as Cal Poly came out with the immediate lead. However, it didn't take long for the Gauchos to come back into this. With back-to-back baskets from
Cole Anderson, UC Santa Barbara came back for the lead. The Gauchos ran with it from there as they were up at the first half with a score of 32-24.
Once the teams got back on the court for the second half, the Mustangs worked to close the gap between them and the Gauchos. Cal Poly tied up the score with a little less than 14 minutes left on the clock, but it didn't last for long. Anderson put up another three followed by a fast break from
Ariel Bland gave the Gauchos the advantage they needed. The Mustangs couldn't stop them from there as UC Santa Barbara took down the Cal Poly 61-52.
LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS
- Cole Anderson led the Gauchos tonight in scoring as he contributed 16 points. While doing that, he made four of his six shots from beyond the arc. He also made both of his free throws, keeping him at 100 percent from the charity stripe this season.
- Ajay Mitchell also finished with double-digit points for the 12th time this season. Against the Mustangs, Mitchell put up 13 points while adding on two assists.
- Jason Fontenet II had a great defensive outing. He led the team in rebounds with 10 while adding on a block and a steal.
UP NEXT
The Gauchos will return to The Thunderdome on Thursday, Jan. 11, as they continue with Big West play against the Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners. Tip-off will be at 7 p.m. with a live stream available through ESPN+.