The Gauchos picked the perfect time to hit their longest win streak of the year, ramping up to next week’s Big West Tournament with a 70-61 win over Cal State Northridge Tuesday night.
The UCSB men’s basketball team (15-10, 7-5) has now won four games in a row and seven of its last eight since making the turn in conference play in early February.
Senior forward Amadou Sow posted a season-high 26 points on 12-of-15 rebounds to go with seven rebounds and a steal. It was his second straight 25-point game and his fifth 20-point game of the season.
Freshman Ajay Mitchell dropped double-digits for the fourth-straight game scoring 17 tonight going 6-of-9 from the field and 4-for-5 from the free-throw line. He also added four rebounds and three assists.
The Gauchos dominated the game in all the areas they typically do, including winning the rebound battle 32-24, outscoring the Matadors in the paint 40-26, and outshooting them 55.3%-46.3%. UCSB led for 38:39 minutes of the game.
Junior guard Ajare Sanni returned to the Thunderdome floor for the first time since returning from injury knocking down a pair of threes and scoring eight total.
Sow opened the game scoring the Gauchos first 10 points, going 5-for-5 on solely post moves and dunks down low and keeping his team ahead through the first five minutes.
UCSB had opportunities to blow the game open, but Cal State Northridge hung tough, getting buckets when necessary to stay in the game despite the Gaucho defense holding it to just 42.3% shooting from the field.
Sow ended the half with 16 on 7-of-8, shooting to send his team into the half up 31-25.
Sow, Mitchell, and a pair of and-ones from Josh Pierre-Louis fueled the Gauchos early in the second period, growing their lead to as much as 13 points, but once again the Matadors managed to chip away shooting a much better clip than the first half and knocking down a pair of timely threes.
Cal State Northridge cut the lead to as little as six with just over two minutes to go, but junior guard Josh Pierre-Louis knocked down a pair of free-throws and grabbed a crucial offensive rebound on back-to-back plays. The hustle board would lead to a three-point play by Mitchell that all but put the game away.
Mitchell played nearly the entire half, scoring 12 in the period and making three big free-throws down the stretch.
Sow added 10 more points in the final period going 5-for-7 with three rebounds.
UCSB closes out the season tonight against Hawai’i in a big game that marks WHITEOUT and Senior Night. The Gauchos want you to join them in wearing white, and there will be a pregame ceremony celebrating the graduating class of 2022. This includes Jay Nagle, Sekou Toure, Robinson Idehen, Miles Norris, Amadou Sow, and manager Zhupou He.
Daniel Moebus-Bowles writes about sports for UCSB.
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