Overview:
UCSB forward Yohan Traore has near-perfect shooting night while scoring 19 points
UC Santa Barbara went straight for the paint in its Blue-Gold rivalry men’s basketball win over Cal Poly on Thursday.
The Gauchos pulled an inside job in their 83-75 victory, outscoring the Mustangs 46-26 in paint points while out-rebounding them 37-24 before a packed crowd of 4,000 at the Thunderdome.
“We have really good drivers in Josh (Pierre-Louis) and Ajay (Mitchell), and they both did an excellent job driving the ball to the rim,” UCSB coach Joe Pasternack said. “And when we out-rebound teams, we win the game.”
The victory puts the Gauchos (15-12, 8-9 Big West Conference) into a three-way tie for sixth place in the league race with Hawai’i (16-13, 8-9) and UC Riverside (13-16, 8-9). Cal State Northridge (18-12, 9-9) resides just a half-game in front of them in fifth place.
Mitchell predicted some March Magic for UCSB, beginning with Saturday’s 6 p.m. game at Cal State Fullerton.
“That’s when it’s most important,” he said. “That’s when we’ve got to pick it up and just play our best basketball.”
Mitchell’s achy ankle appreciated last Saturday’s bye. He came back from the break to lead UCSB with 22 points, seven assists, four rebounds and two steals.
“It was definitely huge for us, especially with these last four games — three games now,” he said. “It was really important to get some rest and have that weekend off.”
A raucous turnout of students pushed UCSB’s restart button. Sophomore forward Yohan Traore scored 11 of his 19 points in the first 7½ minutes to stake the Gauchos to a 17-6 lead.
“Anytime I step onto the court, I’m trying to stay confident and play aggressive,” he said. “But the crowd was crazy.”
“Tonight we came out with great energy,” UCSB coach Joe Pasternack added. “I credit the crowd — it was awesome — and it gives our guys such an unbelievable boost when we can get that place sold out and packed.
“The administration did a great job of just getting the word out and all the students to come. It was an awesome, awesome environment.”
Traore’s shooting was nearly perfect. The 6-foot-11 transfer from Auburn made 7-of-8 field-goal attempts and all five of his free throws.
“Yohan really got off to a fast start,” Pasternack said. “He’s just getting better and better as he goes.
“He’s improving both his offense and his defense. I thought defensively he was really good.”
The Mustangs stayed in the game with three-point shooting. They made 5-of-12 in the first half— two apiece by Jarred Hyder and Quentin Jones — to take a 34-32 lead with 2:11 left in the period.
Mitchell’s three and Ariel Bland’s put-back put UCSB back in ahead at halftime, 37-34.
Bland came off the bench to score 12 points on 6-for-6 shooting. He added three blocks and four rebounds while grabbing three of his teammates’ misses.
“Ariel Bland came in and gave us much-needed help,” Pasternack said.
Cal Poly took its last lead of 40-39 on a three by Kobe Sanders. He led all scorers with 31 points, which included 11-for-11 foul shooting.
But a three-point play by Mitchell and a three-pointer by Cole Anderson started a 13-2 run that see-sawed UCSB back on top, 52-42.
Another three by Anderson increased the Gauchos’ lead to 13 points, 69-56, with just under five minutes to go. He finished with 10 points.
Pierre-Louis’ put-back kept the margin at 13, 73-60, with three minutes left. He just missed a double-double with 11 points and a game-high nine rebounds. He also had four assists and three steals.
UCSB, which entered the game ranked 13th nationally in field-goal percentage, made 55.1% of its shots to improve its season accuracy to 49.4%. Cal Poly shot 45.8%.
“(Offense) isn’t our issue,” Pasternack said. “Our issues are defending and rebounding. When we do those things, we’re such a better team.”
Cal Poly (4-25, 0-17) suffered its 17th-straight defeat — the longest losing streak in the nation. The Mustangs also lost to the Gauchos for the 14th-straight time, but they did gain Traore’s respect.
“They never give up,” he said. “They played hard and aggressive.”
