Ben RozakThe energy and eagerness was there at Mott Gym in Saturday night’s Central Coast rivalry match-up between the UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly men’s basketball teams – but the basket wasn’t too receptive of the ball when a Mustang released it.
Cal Poly shot a season-low 10.5 percent from the 3-point line (2 of 19) on the way to a 75-60 defeat in its third-straight Big West Conference loss.
“We had some good looks and they didn’t go in,” Cal Poly head coach Kevin Bromley said. “That’s kind of been our story to this point.”
Senior UCSB guard Alex Harris, meanwhile, hit 5 of his 9 shots from deep while dropping a season-high 31 points.
As a team, the Gauchos made 10 of 20 shots from 3-point range.
“It’s been proven that those kids can make shots. And they were open shots, too,” said Bromley, who called the Gauchos’ use of the 3-pointer a “neutralizer” and a “big weapon.”
The Gauchos (14-4, 3-2 Big West), who made just 20 total field goals, fired better from behind the 3-point line (50 percent) than they did inside of it (30 percent), but they received an offensive boost from the free-throw line, where they garnered 25 unguarded points.
Harris was quick on the attack and got himself to the line often, making 10 of 12 free throws.
“You take his free throws away, and he has 21 points,” said junior Cal Poly guard Trae Clark, who had 12 points and four assists on the night.
Sophomore guard Lorenzo Keeler also had a team-high 12 points for the Mustangs (6-11, 1-4 Big West).
Clark said Harris was definitely the focus of the Mustangs defense, yet he was crafty in drawing fouls and more importantly, proficient at the free-throw line.
Sophomore guard James Powell added 20 points for UCSB thanks to a trio of 3-pointers. He made 9 of 12 free throws while dishing out five assists and grabbing five rebounds.
Although 10 Mustangs scored, no one reached double digits aside from Clark and Keeler.
“We don’t have a go-to guy,” Bromley admitted. “When things break down, a lot of times that go-to guy (could) make a shot or take over.”
The Mustangs opened the contest with defensive energy, as senior forward Dreshawn Vance had three blocks in his first eight minutes of play, and before the 10-minute mark, the game was within three points on either side.
But the Gauchos took the lead for good at 16-13 at the 11:30 mark on a Powell 3-pointer.
They led by as many as 11 in the first half and 21 in the second.
Bromley said his team did not do a good job defending off the dribble but did well in the low post, as the Gauchos scored just 16 points in the paint.
Keeping the ball in front of themselves, though, was tough for the Mustangs as the game went on, Bromley said, because “fatigue (became) a factor in the game.”
Aside from Harris’ outstanding performance, Bromley said he was happy with the amount of assists his team allowed (14). Both teams had 12 turnovers, and UCSB out-rebounded Cal Poly 39-30.
“I’m glad it was a decent basketball game,” Bromley said. “Sometimes these rivalries don’t amount to much and both teams play really sloppy. Both teams actually played pretty well and pretty hard.”
Clark agreed that despite the Mustangs’ struggles, it hasn’t been from a lack of trying.
“I thought we battled hard tonight,” he said. “The effort was there.”