UC Santa Barbara’s final rehearsal before Big West Conference basketball play turned into more of an audition at the Thunderdome on Friday.
Coach Joe Pasternack wanted one more good look at his understudies and they came through with starring performances in an 81-48 rout over Mississippi Valley State in the final game of the Mountain to the Sea Showcase.
Freshman Zion Sensley led the way with a career-high 16 points to make the all-tournament team with fellow Gauchos Kenny Pohto, Jason Fontenet II and Deuce Turner.
“I wasn’t surprised — he plays with confidence,” said Pohto, UCSB’s starting center. “He does it in practice, too.”
Pohto was named Tournament Most Valuable Player after making all five of his field-goal attempts and two free throws for 12 points in just 11 minutes and 20 seconds of playing time.
The 6-foot-11 graduate transfer from Wichita State also had an impactful game in Wednesday’s tournament win over Eastern Washington with eight rebounds and five assists.
Friday’s game, however, was more about taking stock of the reserves. The Gauchos’ bench accounted for 47 of their 81 points, 25 of their 41 rebounds, and 13 of their 19 assists.
“A lot of guys got to play, which was very great for our team,” Pasternack said. “Nonconference play is to figure out who can do what in different combinations.”
UCSB (6-1) will open Big West play with a home game against UC San Diego on Thursday and a Saturday road contest at UC Davis.
Sensley, a 6-foot-8 forward from San Francisco’s Archbishop Riordan High School, made 6-of-11 shots which included 3-of-7 from three-point distance.
Pasternack, who was without injured starter Colin Smith for the second straight game, played Sensley a team-high 22 minutes and 32 seconds at his forward position.
“We’ve been coaching him really hard, and I thought he really had the right mindset today and did a nice job,” he said. “Going from high school to college is not easy — it’s a totally different game, a total different discipline.
“In high school, you get to shoot every single time you want to shoot. It doesn’t work that way in college.”
The Gauchos shot 5-for-8 from the three-point line in the first eight minutes. Senior guard Cole Anderson made three in a row during a 78-second outburst.
“I thought our guys were really locked in to begin the game,” Pasternack said. “It’s all about how we play and not who we’re playing.
“We corrected some things from the last game.”
Sensley then hit his first long bomb off Ariel Bland’s pass to give UCSB a 19-9 lead.
“Every single day in practice, it’s like coach says … It’s a war,” Sensley said. “That’s kind of how I look at it.
“Whether I get in there for one second or one minute, I want to do what I can to bring energy to the game to help my teammates.”
Backup point guard Ben Shtolzberg assisted three of UCSB’s first four threes. He finished with a game-high seven assists with no turnovers.
“That was huge,” Pasternack said. “Turnovers have been an Achilles heel for us.
“We had 19 assists to eight turnovers, and that was big for us.”
Shtolzberg helped to increase UCSB’s lead to 22-11 by driving and then passing to Pohto for a conventional three-point play.
“In practice we go so hard — we’ve got two teams of five that are so even,” Pohto said. “It’s really good that we don’t have one team that’s better than the other one.
“Being able to compete like that in practice translates to the games really well.”
Mississippi Valley State (1-7) got within 29-19 on a put-back by Jair Horton with four minutes left in the first half. Arthur Tate made the all-tournament team for the Delta Devils after scoring 11 points.
The Gauchos, however, went on a 12-2 run to close out the period. Max Murrell’s three off Chris Mitchell’s driving pass gave UCSB a 43-21 lead at the break.
The Gauchos capitalized on each of Mississippi Valley State’s first-half turnovers, scoring 18 points off nine miscues.
UCSB kept its run going to start the second half. Pohto scored the period’s first five points.
“We have to get him the ball because he attracts double-teams, and he’s such an amazing passer,” Pasternack said. “We have to do a better job of getting him the ball.”
Turner added a three to boost the margin to 30 points, 51-21.
Pasternack turned it over to the reserves from there. Sensley scored 11 of his 16 points in the final 15 minutes. His most dazzling play came with an athletic, Euro-step finish to a fast break.
“The biggest thing I’ve noticed, coming from high school to college is the intensity,” Sensley said. “Coach Pasternack, he tries to get into you every day — tries to get into your head — and it just makes you stronger.”
UCSB out-shot the Delta Devils 50.9% to 35.8% overall and 37% to 30.8% from the three-point line.
The Gauchos also out-rebounded them 41-27, with two reserves leading the way: Koat Keat Tong with seven and Bland with six.