IRVINE, Calif. – The UC Santa Barbara Men's Basketball team (14-12) had a big game this evening as they took on the top team in The Big West in UC Irvine. Despite the Gauchos' efforts to rally in the second half, they came up short as they dropped this Big West game to the Anteaters 81-69.  
 
FROM HEAD COACH JOE PASTERNACK
"I thought it was a tale of two halves. It's really hard to play the best team in the league and spot them 17 points at halftime. I am really proud of our guys for their fight and toughness in the second half as they clawed back. We just couldn't overcome the deficit from the first half."
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Gauchos were the first team on the board, winning the tip and scoring the first basket with a three from Cole Anderson. From there, it was as close as it could get between these two teams as neither team could gain more than a two-point lead. After the second timeout on the floor, the Anteaters started to pull ahead as they went up by five while the Gauchos went scoreless for three minutes. Even though they tried to rally on the back of Yohan Traore's 14 points in 13 minutes, UC Santa Barbara could not close the gap as they headed to the locker room with a score of 29-46.
 
The second half started as the first half ended as UC Santa Barbara could not find a way to score while the Anteaters could not be stopped. That was until the Gauchos went on a 10-0 run, bringing them closer to the lead with plenty of time left in the second half. The Anteaters made a push to stop the Gauchos' efforts, but UC Santa Barbara retaliated quickly, getting within eight of the home team. Despite the Gauchos' efforts, they could not complete the comeback in the Bren Center as they dropped this game 81-69.
 
LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS

• Yohan Traore led all players on the court in scoring as he racked up 22 points. To go along with that, he added on five rebounds and a block.
• Ajay Mitchell was next up in scoring as he contributed 17 points to the team's efforts. Mitchell also helped on defense with a team-high six rebounds and three steals.  
• Jason Fontenet II finished with double-digit points as he ended the night with 10. He also secured the most steals on the team with four while grabbing four rebounds. 

UP NEXT
The Gauchos will have a week off before they return to The Thunderdome for one of the most anticipated games of the season in the Blue-Green Rivalry. UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly will face each other on Thursday, Feb. 29, beginning at 7 p.m. For those who can't make it to The Thunderdome, they can watch live on ESPN+.