SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The UC Santa Barbara Men’s Basketball team wrapped up their regular season on Saturday against UC Irvine. They began strong, leading by as many as 16 points, but ultimately lost 97-88.
COACH’S TAKE
Head Coach Joe Pasternack expressed mixed feelings: “We showcased our skills in the first half, but struggled to maintain our lead in the second half. We really needed those consecutive stops.”
GAME RECAP
The Gauchos started the first half with energy. Stephan Swenson scored an early 3-pointer, assisted by Kenny Pohto. Swenson went on to rack up three assists and two steals. Deuce Turner also shined, scoring a layup and a jumper during a strong offensive stretch. Colin Smith and Jason Fontenet II added to the scoring, leading to a halftime score of 43-30 in favor of the Gauchos.
In the second half, Turner continued to impress, hitting a key 3-pointer that put the score at 62-50. However, UC Irvine’s Justin Hohn and Jurian Dixon rallied their team with timely shots. The Gauchos’ bench contributed significantly, scoring a total of 34 points in the second half, but it wasn’t enough to hold off the Anteaters’ surge.
WHAT’S NEXT
UC Santa Barbara earned the No. 5 seed in The Big West Championships. They are set to face No. 8 seed Cal State Bakersfield on Wednesday, March 12, at 6 p.m. The game will take place at Lee’s Family Forum in Henderson, Nevada.
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