Overview:
UCSB made 48.1% of its three-pointers (13-of-27) to overcome the Hornets’ own hot shooting night and notch its third win in as many games
SACRAMENTO — An injured Jason Fontenet II made Sacramento State feel his pain Tuesday night.
UC Santa Barbara’s junior co-captain scored 12 of his 14 points in the second half while finishing with seven rebounds to help the Gauchos hold on for a 92-87 men’s basketball victory at Hornet Pavilion.
Coach Joe Pasternack said Fontenet’s availability had been a game-time decision.
“Jason hasn’t practiced in three or four days,” he said. “We didn’t even know if he was going to play until game-time.
“Banged up, he was just so tough.
“He’s the toughest kid on this team, and we have to find guys who are going to be tough like him.”
UCSB (3-0), which got 17-point performances each from Aidan Mahaney, Colin Smith and Miro Little, needed every bit of offensive firepower to overcome a Sacramento State team that out-shot the Gauchos 52.5% to 47.6%.
Mikey Williams scored 30 points for the Hornets (2-1), marking the second-straight game that an opposing guard reached that total against the Gauchos.
“Right now, we’re playing with fire,” Pasternack said. “We’re trading baskets every possession. It doesn’t work like that.
“If we don’t fix it, we’re in for a long, long year.
“We have a very talented offensive team, but we have to care about defense. And right now we don’t.”
UCSB made enough three-pointers (13-of-27, 48.1%) to pull out the victory. It also out-rebounded the Hornets 36-33 and committed just eight turnovers.
Little did a little bit of everything for the Gauchos, assisting eight baskets with just one turnover, making four steals and sinking 10-of-10 free throws to score 17 points.
“The last two games, his assists-to-turnovers have been unbelievable — I think it’s been 14-to-1,” Pasternack said. “And he was awesome at the end of the game.
“We won this game because we had only eight turnovers. When you go on the road and have only have eight turnovers, man, that’s powerful.”
The Gauchos rallied from an early 10-4 deficit, making five three-pointers in a 9½-minute span. Smith sank three of them to cap a 32-13 run that put them ahead 36-23.
The bulk of Smith’s 17 points came on 5-of-7 shooting from three. He’s 10-for-15 from that distance for the season (66.7%) and averaging a team-best 18.0 points.
He also had seven rebounds to share team-high honors with Fontenet.
“He’s a really good shooter, but he has to defend and rebound,” Pasternack said. “Colin had seven rebounds tonight, and he’s got to get that every single night.
“It’s really important for him and his future, and for our team.”
Two of Little’s assists during UCSB’s first-half run came on long, fast-break passes that freshman Michael Simcoe converted with dunks.
Another freshman, C.J. Shaw, added a dazzling, double-pump, reverse layup during the outburst. He scored nine points in just 12 minutes.
Zion Sensley pumped in another three and added a free throw 30 seconds later to boost the Gaucho lead to 42-31.
The Hornets closed the gap, however, with a furious, 9-0 run in the last 64 seconds of the first half.
Prophet Johnson threw up a prayer of a three at the buzzer after Brandon Gardner tipped out a missed free throw. The play reduced UCSB’s lead to just 45-43 at the break.
“That last one of the half was probably one of the worst offensive rebounds I’ve ever been associated with,” Pasternack said.
Fontenet put the Gauchos back on track by hitting four of five shots — two of them threes — in the first nine-plus minutes of the second half.
The last one was a step-back bomb that put UCSB ahead 68-56 with 11:19 to go.
He scored five baskets in Tuesday’s second half after having made only three in the Gauchos’ first two games this season.
“He was unbelievable today considering the circumstances,” Pasternack said. “He’s one of the highest-character individuals I’ve ever been around.
“He reminds me of Gabe Vincent and Ajay Mitchell. He’s all about the team … Playing hard.”
Mahaney sandwiched Fontenet’s fifth basket of the half by beating the shot clock with a step-back three of his own and then splitting a double-team defense for a three-point play.
Mahaney added another step-back jumper just inside the three-point line to increase the Gauchos’ lead to 78-69 with 6:14 remaining.
“Aidan was really good,” Pasternack said.
Smith put the finishing touches to his 17-point night with back-to-back threes, increasing the margin to 84-71 with four minutes left.
Sacramento State, a team that has been completely rebuilt this season by new coach Mike Bibby, a former Sacramento Kings star, fought back with 16 points in the last 3:48.
Jeremiah “Bear” Cherry, a 6-foot-11 and 250-pound transfer from UNLV, dunked twice in the final 38.1 seconds while finishing with 20 points, seven rebounds and four blocked shots.
Johnson added 17 points, 11 rebounds and six assists for the Hornets.
But Little staved them all off by making 8-of-8 free throws in the last 44 seconds.
“His free throws at the end were awesome,” Pasternack said. “But at the end of the day, we have a huge problem and we have to get it fixed.
“We’re going back to the drawing board, and we’re going to play guys who want to play defense.”
The Gauchos will return home to face their biggest challenge of the season so far when they play undefeated Loyola Marymount (4-0) in a 6 p.m. game next Monday.
The high-scoring Lions, who average 93 points per game, stunned UTEP in El Paso on Tuesday, 71-58.
“Thank goodness we have some time to finally practice and figure out what type of team we want to have this year,” Pasternack said.