SAN JOSE, Calif. – The UC Santa Barbara Men's Basketball team (4-0) hit the road as they took on their second Mountain West team in as many games in San Jose State. It was a tight battle between these two teams, but in the end, it was UC Santa Barbara who came out with the win as the Gauchos took down the Spartans 64-59.
 
FROM HEAD COACH JOE PASTERNACK
"I thought our team really came together tonight. We were able to depend on our defense and rebounding to win in a hard-fought game."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The first half did not start in the Gauchos' favor as they went on a four-minute scoring drought early in the first half. A three-pointer from Jason Fontenet II ended the Gauchos' drought which switched the momentum to the visitors. UC Santa Barbara ended up on a seven-point run from there that pushed them ahead of the Spartans. Even though San Jose State tried to fight back, the Gauchos wouldn't allow it. UC Santa Barbara went into the locker room on top with a score of 30-27.
 
The second half remained a gritty fight between these two teams as the Gauchos kept the lead, but couldn't pull ahead by more than six points. This continued through most of the second half until the last three minutes when San Jose State went on a late run, tying up the game with one minute to go. This is when the Gauchos picked up the pace yet again. With a three-pointer and a block from Stephan Swenson, UC Santa Barbara regained momentum as they pulled out the 64-59 win to stay undefeated this season.
 
LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS

• Cole Anderson led the Gauchos in scoring tonight as he put up 18 points. All of these points came from beyond the arc as he contributed six three pointers out of eight attempts.
• Stephan Swenson had a well-rounded appearance for the Gauchos. He finished this one with 15 points to go along with two blocks, two steals,
• Kenny Pohto also shined for UC Santa Barbara. He secured 11 points and 10 rebounds for his first double-double as a Gaucho. He also led all players on the floor with seven assists.
• Jason Fontenet II finished in double-figures yet again as he racked up 12 points. Along with that, he crashed the boards as he added on six rebounds.

UP NEXT
The Gauchos will return to The Thunderdome as they take on the UTEP Miners for a rematch from last year's game in El Paso. Tipoff will be at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 20 with a live stream available through ESPN+.