Gauchos Extend Winning Streak Over Cal Poly to 16 Games With 96-77 Victory

The players thought it was cool to see actor Michael Douglas, a UCSB alum, in the house for the Gauchos’ basketball game against visiting Cal Poly on Thursday night.

But it was a couple thousand future alumni, a raucous student section, that received credit from coach Joe Pasternack for inspiring the Gauchos to their 96-77 victory over the Mustangs.

“It was special to see the students get excited,” Pasternack said. “The students really came out.”

In winning their third consecutive game, the Gauchos remained in contention for a top-four seed in the Big West Tournament with two regular-season games remaining.

“It’s that time of the season,” said sophomore guard Jason Fontenet, the team’s high scorer with 19 points. “We gotta win every game, do or die.”

Five other Gauchos scored in double figures – senior Cole Anderson continued his torrid three-point shooting (4 for 6) and had 16 points; Deuce Turner 14, Colin Smith 13, Kenny Pohto 12, and Stephan Swenson 10.  All but Pohto, who did his damage in the paint, drilled a pair of three-pointers. Swenson dished off eight assists, a season high.

The percentages told the story. UCSB shot 54 percent from the floor (34 for 63) and 50-percent from deep (14 for 28). Cal Poly shot only 23 percent from behind the arc (7 for 30) and 42 percent overall. The Mustangs did have the game’s leading scorer, senior forward Owen Koonce, with 23 points.

UCSB led 47-42 at halftime, and it remained a two-possession game midway through the second half after a 9-0 run by the Mustangs made it 71-65. Then the Gauchos responded with a barrage of threes and baskets in transition to build a 90-71 margin at the four-minute mark. Pasternack cleared his bench as the Gauchos finished their 16^th consecutive victory in the rivalry, going back to 2018. 

Thursday’s game did not figure to be so lopsided after UCSB barely escaped San Luis Obispo with a win in January when Swenson hit a three at the buzzer.

The Gauchos (11-7 Big West, 19-10 overall) hope the solid victory is a sign of things to come. They play their last two regular season games at Cal State Northridge (12-5, 21-7) on Saturday and home against UC Irvine (14-3, 24-5) on Saturday, March 8. Both those teams topped UCSB in their first conference meetings.

Cal Poly (5-12, 11-18) is in danger of missing the Big West Tournament. The desperate Mustangs played hard against the Gauchos – bodies were diving all over the floor – but the Gauchos were determined to please the Thunderdome crowd of 4,000.

UCSB Women 63, Cal Poly 60: The Gauchos turned the tables on Cal Poly in their game at San Luis Obispo. The Mustangs had beaten them by a point in January, and with Thursday night’s game coming down to the wire, it was the Gauchos’ prowess at the free-throw line that got the job done.

After Anya Choice’s three-pointer put UCSB ahead 57-55, Skylar Burke made five of six free throws down the stretch. Burke and Zoe Borter led a balanced Gaucho offense with 12 points each.

The Gauchos (11-7 Big West, 17-11 overall) will try to extend their three-game winning streak in their home finale Saturday at 4 p.m. against CSUN (2-14, 4-21) at the Thunderdome. They also are contending to finish with a top-four seed that would entail a first-round bye in the Big West Tournament March 12-15 at Henderson, Nevada,.