UCSB men’s basketball (9-2) played their final non-conference game of the regular season as they made the trip to Phoenix for the Jerry Colangelo Classic. The Gauchos stepped on the court at the Footprint Center, home of the Phoenix Suns, to take on the Appalachian State Mountaineers. These two teams only played each other once before this contest going all the way back to 1941 when the Gauchos defeated the Mountaineers at NAIA Nationals.
After 40 minutes of play in this neutral site game, the Gauchos came out with the 61-50 win to extend their win streak to five and have the best start since Head Coach Joe Pasternack took over the program back in 2017.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Gauchos struck first as senior Miles Norris made his first basket of the day from beyond the arc. But Appalachian State was not going to let UCSB gain the momentum, sticking with them throughout the first half. The Mountaineers went on a 6-0 scoring run in the middle of the second half, resulting in a slight lead late in the first. App State was able to keep it, resulting in the Gauchos being down by two at the half with a score of 29-27.
Ajay Mitchell led the scoring for the Gauchos, registering 11 points while going five-for-five from the charity stripe. Along with him, Norris and Ajare Sanni contributed heavily to the Gauchos’ first half performance. Norris finished the first 20 minutes with six points, going two-for-three from the three-point line while Sanni added on five points with five rebounds.
Norris started the scoring off for the Gauchos again in the second half, driving to the basket for a layup. This gave UCSB the momentum necessary to come back in this second half as they chipped away at the Mountaineers’ lead. By the eight-minute media timeout, the Gauchos tied the game at 42, giving them the chance to make a comeback.
UCSB did just that. The Gauchos stormed back into this game, giving them a 10-point run that stopped the Mountaineers in their tracks. Despite Appalachian State’s best efforts, they weren’t able to come back with the win as the Gauchos ended the game with a score of 61-50.
LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS
– Mitchell finished on top for the Gauchos, scoring 22 points while playing almost every minute of this game. Along with his shooting efforts, Mitchell distributed the ball well by notching three assists and grabbing two steals.
– Norris ended as the game’s MVP, earning his second double-double in as many games. He concluded the non-conference season with 17 points along with 10 rebounds. Along with that, Norris shot at a 58 percent clip, going seven-for-12 from the field.
– Koat Keat Tong came into his own in this game, dominating the Mountaineers on defense. The freshman had his best game yet, registering nine boards while blocking one shot.
– The Gauchos out-rebounded the Mountaineers all game long, securing 43 compared to App State, who had 30. The Gauchos also grabbed nine steals compared to the bad guys’ two while making 81 percent of their free throws compared to the Mountaineers’ 50 percent.
UP NEXT
The Gauchos wrapped up non-conference play and will play their first Big West game on the road against Cal State Fullerton. This game was selected as a Wild Card game and will be on ESPNU. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.
Kristen Keller is the associate athletic director for communications and digital strategy at UCSB.
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