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University of California, Santa Barbara

cj dribbling at csun
Nick Tomoyasu
65
UC Santa Barbara UCSB 9-6,2-2 Big West
74
Winner CSUN CSUN 9-7,2-2 Big West
UC Santa Barbara UCSB
9-6,2-2 Big West
65
Final
74
CSUN CSUN
9-7,2-2 Big West
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
UC Santa Barbara UCSB 26 39 65
CSUN CSUN 34 40 74

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Gauchos Fight Back From 14-Point Deficit, But Fall to Matadors

NORTHRIDGE, Calif. — UC Santa Barbara men's basketball fell to CSUN 74-65 on Saturday afternoon. CJ Shaw paced the Gauchos with 20 points, his third 20-point outing of the season. The Gauchos shot a season low 34.4 percent from the field and 20 percent from beyond the arc.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
CSUN began the game on a 14-0 run, putting the Gauchos in a hole from the jump. After getting on the scoreboard, Marvin McGhee IV provided a spark for the Gauchos with a fast-break dunk, which started a 9-0 run for the Gauchos to cut the lead to two possessions.. UCSB's bench contributed significantly, accounting for 12 points, and maintained competitive play by closing the gap to seven points with a 3-pointer from Aidan Mahaney at 2:52.
 
Despite UC Santa Barbara's efforts, the Matadors continued to capitalize on offensive rebounds, extending their lead slightly before the half concluded. The first half ended with a score of 34-26 in favor of CSUN.
 
UC Santa Barbara started the second half with momentum, closing the gap to 34–29 with a layup and free throw from Hosana Kitenge. Despite trading baskets with Northridge, UCSB's defensive stops and fast breaks, including key plays from Shaw. His layup at 8:31 brought UCSB within three points, narrowing the Matadors' lead to 50–47.
 
However, Northridge responded, pulling away slightly as the half progressed, but McGhee's three-pointer at 6:04 tied the score at 56. The first tie since the game started at 0-0. Unfortunately, CSUN managed to regain the lead and did not let it up for the remainder of the game. The game concluded with a 74–65 victory for the Matadors.
 
NOTABLES
  • CJ Shaw scored 20 points to lead all Gaucho scorers, his third 20-point game of the season.
  • Over 60 percent of the Gauchos scoring came from Shaw, McGhee IV and Kitenge. The trio combined for 40 of the Gauchos 65 points.
  • The UC Santa Barbara defense did not allow CSUN to make a 3-pointer in the second half, holding them 0-6 in the second half.
  • The Gaucho bench outscored the Matador bench 20-12 in the game.
 
UP NEXT
UC Santa Barbara will return to The Thunderdome on Thursday, Jan. 8 as they host UC Davis. The Gauchos and Aggies will tip off at 6 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ with live stats available.
 
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