Overview:
Cole Anderson matches his career-high by making six three-pointers to lead UCSB with 18 points
SAN JOSE — The graduate transfer from Stetson put a cap as large as a 10-gallon hat on UC Santa Barbara’s basketball comeback on Saturday.
Stephan Swenson scored three clutch baskets — two of them three-pointers — in the final 4:37 and also blocked San Jose State’s last shot to give the Gauchos a 64-59 victory at the Provident Credit Union Event Center.
The heroics of UCSB’s 6-foot-2 point guard left Spartans coach Tim Miles shaking his head in frustration.
“We’re in a 1-3-1 (zone) and he bails them out right at the end of the shot clock with 4½ minutes to go, and then he does the same thing with (18.6 seconds) to go,” Miles said. “He shoots three-pointers, unscripted, 25, 26 feet from the basket … and players make plays.
“You have to tip your hat.”
Although UCSB (4-0) shot just 43.6%, it bombed San Jose (1-4) with 10 three-pointers in 25 attempts (40%).
Cole Anderson made 6-of-8 threes to lead the Gauchos with 18 points. Swenson came alive in the second half with a trio of threes and 14 of his 16 points.
“Unbelievable,” Pasternack said. “He’s a pro, an NBA player, because he plays so hard … so hard.
“He’s a leader and has every intangible there is. Toughness. Rebounding. Taking charges. And his motor is off the charts.
“As far as scoring and makings shots, yeah, he did all that. But his motor is what’s such a great example for kids to emulate.”
Josh Uduje, a 6-foot-5 transfer from Utah State, made three straight shots including a three-pointer to cap a 9-0 run that put the Spartans ahead 12-5. He led all scorers with 22 points.
But a three by Jason Fontenet II triggered a 13-4 spree for UCSB which catapulted it into an 18-16 lead. Fontenet finished with 12 points and six rebounds.
Anderson made his first four threes. His back-to-back makes put the Gauchos on top, 28-22.
Three of those bombs came on kick-out passes from center Kenny Pohto.
“Pohto’s tough too, right?” Miles said. “We wanted to go aggravate him a bit with some double-teams, but our rotations weren’t so good to Cole … He hurt us on a couple of those plays, for sure.
“Those guards are really good. That’s a good ball club.”
Anderson’s six threes matched his career-high set last year in a game against Le Moyne. He’s shooting 61.1% from three-point distance (11-for-18) so far this season.
Pohto was potent from the inside. The 6-foot-11 graduate transfer from Wichita State flirted with a triple-double with a stat line of 10 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.
“He’s skilled, he’s unselfish,” Pasternack said. “For your five man to get seven assists is just amazing.”
Fontenet crashed the basket for a putback to give UCSB its biggest lead of 30-22. But the Gauchos went scoreless for the last three minutes of the first half.
A three by Donavan Yap got San Jose within 30-27 at the break.
The Gauchos kept a small lead for most of the second half. Anderson made two more threes. Koat Keat Tong added a pair of baskets off high-low passes from Pohto.
Tong, a sophomore center, filled in at the power forward spot for both Colin Smith and Max Murrell. Pasternack kept both players on the sidelines, explaining that Smith was sick and Murrell was suffering from a slight muscle strain.
But Tong, who missed all of last season with two knee surgeries, was up for Sunday’s challenge.
“He’s had a long road to recovery,” Pasternack said. “He didn’t play in the last game — a coach’s decision, nothing due to injury or anything else. I just went with other guys.
“And he was ready today to step in and play a different position than what he practices every single day. And his motor, just like Steph’s, was on another level.
“Six points, two assists, zero turnovers, four rebounds … He just plays so hard. I’m just so proud of him.”
Swenson, meanwhile, kept answering San Jose State baskets down the stretch.
He beat the shot clock when he grabbed a loose ball and launched in a long three with 4:37 to go, getting UCSB’s margin back to six points, 56-50.
He snuck in a whirling, mid-key fadeaway just before the shot-clock buzzed again to keep the margin at six with 3:36 remaining.
The Spartans rallied with seven straight points — a three by Uduje, a hook shot by Robert Vaihola and two free throws by Will McClendon — to take a 59-58 lead with 1:19 left.
But Fontenet, who missed the only two shots he attempted in the second half, made a pair of free throws with 1:00 on the clock to nudge the Gauchos back ahead.
“At the end of the day, Jason is a two-way player, and that’s what we’re looking for — guys who can play both offense and defense,” Pasternack said. “Tonight he wasn’t shooting the three, just 1-for-7, but all the other stuff he brings to the table is unbelievable.”
UCSB got a break when Vaihola missed a layup. Swenson made him pay for it by running down the shot clock before sinking another three from the same spot for a 63-59 lead with 18.6 seconds to go.
The Spartans rushed the ball downcourt to Uduje, but Swenson leaped high to swat his shot. Pohto gathered in the ball and was fouled, and he completed the five-point victory with one free throw.
“Close but no cigar,” Miles said. “I thought the guys battled hard and played well in a lot of facets of the game, but Santa Barbara is a really tough club. They’re well-coached.”
The Gauchos will return home for Wednesday’s “Blue Out” game against Texas-El Paso (2-1). The student booster group “Surge” will be handing out blue shirts to the student body.
UCSB will also hold its holiday food drive. Fans who donate a non-perishable item will receive a free ticket to a future Gaucho men’s and women’s game.
“UTEP is one of the top mid-majors,” Pasternack said. “We went there last year and it was a raucous environment.
“If everybody coming from the community could wear blue, that’d be great.”
