The UCSB men’s basketball team (5-2) earned its second straight win Sunday afternoon, defeating Cal Lutheran (7-1) 87-66 before a home crowd.
UCSB shot 55.9% from the field and was particularly efficient in the second half going 22-for-34 for a 64.7% mark.
The Gauchos doubled the Kingsmen rebound total 50-24 while outscoring them 64-26 in the paint and collecting 23 second chance points off their 17 offensive rebounds.
For the fourth time this year UCSB notched 20+ assists with 23.
Cal Lutheran kept the game close in the first half trailing by just three, but UCSB managed to outscore the visitor 50-32 in the second period to run away with the win.
Amadou Sow led all players with 17 points and eight boards.
Cole Anderson notched a career-high 14 points and Josh Pierre-Louis scored 10.
The Kingsmen hung around in the first period by forcing eight Gaucho turnovers in a half that saw six lead changes and four ties.
UCSB pounded the ball inside, finding 26 of its 37 points in the paint.
Sow ended the half with five points and five rebounds and Robinson Idehen picked up six boards, four of which were offensive.
By the end of the half, UCSB was ahead 37-34.
The Gauchos came out of the locker room for the second half and quickly grew the lead to double-digits in the first five minutes.
Out-shooting the Kingsmen 64.7% to 34.3%, the Gauchos grew their lead to as much as 24 points and posted a 9-0 run along the way.
Sow went a perfect 6-for-6 in just over nine minutes in the half to grab 12 points and Anderson scored nine of his 14 points.
The Gauchos will hit the road for their next two games to take on a pair of WCC opponents. UCSB will face Saint Mary’s Saturday afternoon before seeing Pacific on Dec. 14.
Daniel Moebus-Bowles works in communications/media relations at UCSB.
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