Overview:
Josh Pierre-Louis’ double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds helps UCSB move into fourth place in Big West Conference race
HONOLULU —UC Santa Barbara reached basketball paradise during a 26-0 run at the University of Hawai’i’s SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center on Thursday.
The first-half outburst carried the Gauchos to a 78-61 rout, righting a ship that had listed badly in last Saturday’s home defeat to Cal State Fullerton.
“I thought our response tonight from the Fullerton game was incredible,” UCSB coach Joe Pasternack said. “I mean, it’s a long, long way to travel for a basketball game, and our guys were so locked in all week.
“For us, it’s about finding the consistency no matter where we play.”
The victory moves the Gauchos (12-7, 5-4 Big West Conference) into sole possession of fourth place in the league race. UC Davis, which is tied for first with UC Irvine and UC San Diego at 7-1, will visit the Thunderdome next Thursday.
UCSB’s 26-0 run was an inside job, with its guards pounding the ball into post players Yohan Traore and Aerial Bland. They scored eight points apiece during the 10-minute splurge.
Traore finished with 20 points on 8-for-12 shooting and eight rebounds. Bland went 6-for-7 for 12 points.
The Gauchos scored 54 of their 78 points in the paint. Their 59.6% shooting moved them into second place nationally with a season percentage of 51.4%
“Yo did a really nice job of getting position,” Pasternack said. “Aerial as well.
“Our guys are driving the ball relentlessly in there, and that’s what we have to continue to do.”
Ajay Mitchell, the game’s leading scorer with 25 points on 9-for-16 shooting, assisted six other baskets.
“Ajay was huge,” Pasternack said. “I just thought that we did a great job of sharing the basketball.”
Hawai’i (10-10, 2-6) missed 15 straight shots during UCSB’s run. The Rainbow Warriors, who led 7-2 during the opening minutes, didn’t score again until Jovon McClanahan made a pull-up jumper with just 6:41 left in the first half. The scoreless drought lasted 10 minutes and 55 seconds.
The Gauchos’ lead grew as large as 23 points, 32-9, when Mitchell took a steal in for a layup with just under six minutes left in the first half.
A three-pointer by Noel Coleman, however, triggered an 18-9 run for Hawai’i during the next 5½ minutes. The Warriors shot 60.6% (20-for-33) after their 0-for-15 spell, with Coleman scoring a team-best 19 points.
“Hopefully we can be more consistent,” Pasternack said. “That’s our biggest thing right now, to know what we’re getting every single night.”
The Warriors shot 42.3% for the game but made just 20% from three (5-for-25).
UCSB needed Ben Shtolzberg to score a twisting runner just before halftime to get its lead back to 16 points, 43-27, at the break.
Josh Pierre-Louis helped to keep the Gauchos comfortably ahead in the second half by scoring 10 of his 14 points. The senior guard also led them with 10 rebounds. UCSB won the rebound battle 33-21.
“We’re undefeated when Josh gets seven rebounds or more,” Pasternack said. “By the way, that doesn’t mean don’t score. He had a double-double.
“But when he’s focused and locked in on rebounding, we’re undefeated.”
The Gauchos will get a bye in Saturday’s round of Big West play before facing UC Davis at 8 p.m. Thursday in a nationally televised, ESPNU game.
“It’s a marathon, and the teams that can just keep getting better every single day are the ones who are at their best when they get to the conference tournament,” Pasternack said. “It doesn’t matter the record. It doesn’t matter what the standings are and all the stuff people want to talk about.
“It’s being consumed every day with getting better.
“The sky’s the limit for this team, and I think it will keep getting better and better and better, and then be able to be at our best when it counts.”