UC Santa Barbara junior Marvin McGhee IV got a phone message from his basketball coach after the Gauchos’ road win at UC San Diego on Thursday.
“I didn’t play him enough minutes in the last two games … I actually sent him a text message and said that,” coach Joe Pasternack.
But instead of phoning it in on Saturday, McGhee replied to Pasternack with 14 points and nine rebounds off the bench to spark the Gauchos to an 83-69 victory over Cal State Fullerton at the Thunderdome on Saturday.
“You always got to be ready,” McGhee said. “No matter how much I play, I’ve got to bounce back and be ready the next game.”
UCSB (15-7, 8-3 Big West Conference) extended its winning streak to six games while moving to within a half-game of first-place UC Irvine (15-7, 8-2).
The Gauchos, who will play host to the Anteaters at the Thunderdome next Saturday in a nationally televised ESPNU game, are tied with Hawai’i (16-5, 8-3) for second place in the league standings.
McGhee’s 27 minutes of playing time were second only to the 29 played by starting point guard Miro Little. He had played a combined total of just 21 in UCSB’s previous two games.
“I’m so proud of him, he stuck with it,” Pasternack said. “He’s a great kid, and 14-and-nine … he was terrific tonight.”
It was a big night for the Gaucho reserves, who accounted for 38 of the team’s points and 17 of its rebounds.
Freshman C.J. Shaw led the way, scoring 15 of his game-high 17 points in the second half.
“C.J. Shaw coming off the bench was huge,” Pasternack said. “I thought he struggled in the first half but in the second half was really awesome.
“Right now, we’re gaining depth.”
“Obviously losing Jason (Fontenet to a hip injury) really hurt us, but guys have really stepped up.”
Little scored UCSB’s first two baskets and Aidan Mahaney added a three-pointer to give the Gauchos a quick 7-0 lead.
The Titans had gotten the jump on the Gauchos a month earlier by surging to a 16-2 lead in their 95-84, New Year’s Day massacre at Fullerton.
“We watched a lot of film of that game yesterday … and they got their fill of it,” Pasternack said.
Colin Smith was motivated enough to make all five of his shots which included a pair of three-pointers and a three-point play for 13 points.
“I think it got into all of our heads,” Smith said. “We didn’t perform the way we wanted to start the year, and so, like coach said, we got punked.
“Watching that film, we were embarrassed with ourselves. Tonight we felt like we had to protect our home court, and that we really owed these guys one.
“We came out and really set the tone.”
Little scored all 12 of his points in the first half to lead UCSB to a 38-29 lead. He also finished with seven rebounds and six assists.
The Gauchos won just two of the six games they played when he was sidelined with a foot injury.
“It’s pretty obvious that he’s the head of the snake,” Pasternack said.
Fullerton (10-13, 5-6) stayed within nine points, 46-37, until a jumper by sophomore Zion Sensley ignited a 22-6 Gaucho run.
Sensley, who lost his spot in the starting lineup for a few games after a poor rebounding night, kept a firm grip on both his position and the rebounds on Saturday. He grabbed 10 missed shots — four of them attempted by his teammates — to help UCSB win the rebound battle, 40-28.
“Zion took it like a man,” Pasternack said. “Ten rebounds tonight … he’s our leading rebounder and did a really nice job.”
McGhee, a junior transfer from Cal State Bakersfield, contributed to the run with his third three of the night and a dunk off Michael Simcoe’s pass.
He had to play catch-up after breaking his foot over the summer, but his experience has been good ever since.
“I’ve got my shot back … I’m back,” McGhee said. “It’s been great, and Santa Barbara is a great place.
“It’s a big upgrade for me because Bakersfield is like a desert. Now I’m by the beach and it feels great.”
He was one of six Gauchos to score nine points or more. Five of them are averaging more than 10 per game.
UCSB, which came into the game ranked 47th nationally in field-goal percentage (48.1%), shot a few ticks better than that on Saturday at 48.3%. The Gauchos, who are also ranked 13th in three-point accuracy (39.1%), made 11-of-33 threes against the Titans.
“We have so many weapons, and so we emphasize taking what we call gold shots,” said Smith, who transferred from Vanderbilt two seasons ago. “We don’t have to force anything. We just have to get it moving.
“Offensively, this is definitely one of the most talented teams I’ve been a part of.
“Moving the ball and being happy for each other has had a lot to do with it … Being happy when your brother succeeds.”
But the big difference for UCSB this week has been its defense. The Gauchos, who came into the game ranked 306 out of 361 NCAA Division 1 teams in field-goal percentage allowed (46.4%), held Fullerton to 43.6% on Saturday after allowing San Diego just 36%.
“It’s been, ‘Guard your man,’ but we also have to be there for each other and help,” Smith said. “We’ve been taking pride in that.
“We know that, offensively, if we just move the ball, we can play with anyone in the country.
“Defense and rebounding … When we lock into that, we’re a real dangerous team.”
UCSB will face a big challenge to its winning streak next week even before the showdown with Irvine. The Gauchos must first travel on Thursday to play a UC Davis team that beat the Gauchos 93-86 at the Thunderdome on January 8.
“We owe those guys, too,” Smith said.