The UCSB men’s basketball team (20-7, 11-5 Big West) were back in The Thunderdome Monday night as the Gauchos hosted the Cal State Fullerton Titans, who they last played in the opening game of Big West play on Dec. 29.
After Monday’s game, the Gauchos did not have the same result, losing 74-60 to the Titans.
The Gauchos came out strong, scoring the first basket of the game thanks to a three-pointer from Calvin Wishart. But even with the momentum to start the game, Cal State Fullerton battled back and couldn’t seem to miss a shot. This helped the Titans go on a run in the first half to have an 11-point lead heading into the half.
Once both teams were back on the court, the Gauchos began to chip away at the lead but not without a battle from the Titans. Cal State Fullerton fought with UCSB to keep the lead it gained in the first half. Despite the home team’s best efforts, they weren’t able to pull out the win, dropping this Big West contest 74-60.
On a bright note, the Gauchos’ Miles Norris had a phenomenal great night that led to him hitting two career milestones. Before the end of the first half, Norris grabbed his 500th career rebound.
Once he came back on the court for the second half, he hit a three-point field goal that led him to hit his 1,000th career point in the same night. By the end of the game, he led the team in both of those stat categories, grabbing 17 points and nine boards.
And the Gauchos’ Calvin Wishart had his best night of the season as he registered 16 points. On his way to this season-high, he went 7-of-12 from the field while tallying an assist.
Andre Kelly also finished with double-digit points, putting up 11 points on the night. He shot at a 50% clip while grabbing seven rebounds and snagging a steal.
The Gauchos will return to The Thunderdome on Thursday to host Long Beach State. Tipoff will be at 7 p.m. with a live stream available through ESPN+ and live stats through ucsbgauchos.com.
Kristen Keller is the associate athletic director for communications and digital strategy at UCSB.
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