Gauchos Lean on Depth to Defeat Cal State State Bakersfield 71-66 and Advance in Big West Championships

It will take a group effort for the Gauchos to make an improbable run to a Big West tournament title, if their victory over Cal State Bakersfield serves as a blueprint.

Ten UC Santa Barbara players reached the scoring column and the Gauchos hung on for a 71-66 victory over Cal State Bakersfield in the opening round of the Big West championships.

“Bakersfield is a really tough team to play; they play so hard, and every possession is a war,” said UCSB Head Coach Joe Pasternack. “They just wear you down, and I am so proud of our guys, especially our first-half defense.”

According to Pasternack, turnovers have been an Achilles’s heel this season for UC Santa Barbara, but the Gauchos finished with 14 assists to nine turnovers against a Cal State Bakersfield team that applied intense pressure.

After a scoreless first half, UC Santa Barbara point guard Stephan Swenson finished with a team-high 15 points, including clutch free throws down the stretch that helped the Gauchos secure the victory.

“The most important stat that [Swenson] had was three assists to zero turnovers against full-court pressure for 40 minutes,” Pasternack said. “That was the game right there, but unfortunately we had to play him for 35 minutes.”

Kenny Pohto was a key presence inside for the Gauchos. He finished with 13 points and seven rebounds, and Colin Smith continued his stellar shooting with 13 points, including 3-5 shooting from three-point range.

With the win, UC Santa Barbara advances to the quarterfinal round of the Big West championships, where they will take on the No. 4 seed, CSUN. The Gauchos and Matadors will tip off Thursday, March 13, at 6 p.m. in Henderson, Nevada, at Lee’s Family Forum. 

Women’s Basketball

The UC Santa Barbara Women’s basketball team was eliminated from the Big West Championships by arch-rival Cal Poly following a 56-54 loss in the opening round on Wednesday.

The Gauchos staged a furious fourth-quarter comeback, outscoring the Mustangs 24-14 in the period, but ultimately fell short.

“I’m proud of our team; I’m proud of how we battled all season,” UCSB Head Coach Renee Jimenez said. “We had moments this year where we could have tanked. We chose not to, and they rolled with us as a staff, and we’re forever grateful to our six seniors and forever grateful to Alyssa [Marin].”

Marin finished with 23 points to lead all scorers in her final collegiate game, while Skylar Burke put up 14 despite having to leave a portion of the game with a knee injury.