One of the nation’s best shooting teams from deep showed that it can also go deep into its bench.
UC Santa Barbara’s reserves nearly outscored Cal State Fullerton’s entire team during their 86-56 men’s basketball victory at the Thunderdome on Thursday.
Graduate transfer Deuce Turner scored a game-high 18 points and freshman forward Zion Sensley added 14 to the bench total of 51.
The romp moved the Gauchos (17-10, 9-7 Big West Conference) into a tie with UC Davis for fifth place in the league standings.
“As long as we keep going forward, I’m not worried about what’s happened in the past,” said Turner, who won the West Coast Conference’s Sixth Man of the Year last season at the University of San Diego. “We’ll be great because we’re experienced.
“Steph (Swenson) has been to the tournament. Max (Murrell) has played in the Pac-12. Kenny (Pohto) is from Wichita State and I’m from the WCC … We’ve got good leadership here, so that’ll be helpful for us in the tournament.”
Sensley, who missed all of January with a sprained ankle, played 15 minutes on Thursday after having logged only seven minutes in UCSB’s previous 15 league games.
“We made the effort this week, Monday, to say, ‘You know what? We’re going to play Zion Sensley and get him into the lineup,’” coach Joe Pasternack said. “We need more bodies, and Zion is so talented.
“And Deuce Turner was great today.”
Both Sensley and Turner made 3-of-5 three-pointers off the bench. They also each grabbed a team-best five rebounds.
Gauchos, who are ranked seventh nationally with their three-point percentage of .394, were 12-of-26 for the game.
Forward Colin Smith, a sophomore transfer from Vanderbilt, made all four of his shots including a three to score nine points during his 10 minutes off the bench. He’s missed 14 games this season with injuries which included the last seven.
“He was on a minutes restriction,” Pasternack pointed out. “It’s really hurt us to not have Colin in for the last 10 games or so.”
Pohto led UCSB’s starters with 11 points. He ranks 10th nationally with his 63.3% field-goal shooting this season.
The loss eliminates Fullerton (6-22, 1-15) from contention for one of the top eight spots in the league standings necessary to qualify for the Big West Tournament.
The Titans did keep the score close on Thursday until the Gauchos went on a 39-11 run during a long stretch of the second half.
Antwan Robinson and Donovan Oday were a two-man show for the Titans, combining for 21 of their 27 points in the first half.
Robinson made three straight three-pointers to put Fullerton ahead 25-24 with 4:31 left in the first half.
But the Gauchos went on a 14-2 binge to end the period. Smith and Turner both made threes during the spree, sending UCSB into halftime with a 38-27 lead.
Turner’s five highest scoring games this season have all come at the Thunderdome.
“It’s a great crowd, you know what I mean?” he said. “It’s hard not to play great here.”
Robinson’s last three of the game was sandwiched by a pair of baskets by Kendrick De Luna to get Fullerton to within 40-34 with 17:54 to go.
Robinson led the Titans with 16 points, Oday scored 15 and De Luna added 10.
But the Gauchos blew past them by making 14 of their first 16 shots of the second half which included five threes. They cooled off in the last nine minutes and finished at 53.2% to Fullerton’s 38.6%
Sensley scored all 14 of his points in the last 12:10.
“I’m excited for what’s to come and I’m excited that we’re starting to win some more games,” he said. “This team can go far, so I’m excited.”
He said several Gaucho veterans including Turner, Swenson and Pohto encouraged him during his long stretch on the sidelines.
“All of the guys, I would say, have been telling me to stay positive and just keep working, and that it’s all going to work out,” Sensley said. “Like coach says, it’s just honoring the process instead of putting my head somewhere else.
“I just try to learn as much as I can while I’m off the floor — just learn our schemes both offensively and defensively — so I can get my mind ready to come back and work as hard as I can to get back in the rotation and help the team.”
The victory guaranteed UCSB of its eighth-straight winning season under Pasternack. It breaks the Gaucho record of seven that coach Bob Williams established from 2005 to 2012.
“We’ve had some really good players here at UCSB,” Pasternack said. “The administration has been unbelievably supportive.
“We’ve had amazing boosters that have transformed the Thunderdome … Jeff Henley putting in chairback seating … and Mike Stewart, Jay Glazer and Bob Zorich, just to name a few. You have to have an infrastructure for winning.
“We’ve had great assistant coaches over the years, too. That all goes into winning.”