UCSB’s graduate center Evans Kipruto attempts to block LBSU junior guard Cole Farrell during the second half on Saturday. UCSB defeated LBSU with a final score of 74-71 on Jan. 24 at the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid. Rehansa Kulatilleke | Long Beach Current
Long Beach State men’s basketball fell just short of a major comeback victory against UC Santa Barbara in a nail-biting 74-71 loss in front of 2,351 at LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid on Saturday, Jan. 24.
Back-to-back tough layups at the final two-minute mark from UCSB freshman guard CJ Shaw put the Gauchos ahead four late, quieting the home crowd before The Beach cut the deficit to three with the final possession in their hands.
LBSU star freshman guard Gavin Sykes drew a double team from the Gaucho defenders, finding LBSU sophomore forward Petar Majstorovic open for a wing three that fell short of the overtime-forcing make, as The Beach could not complete the 15-point comeback win.
“We don’t believe in moral victories at all but that was really the tale of two different teams,” LBSU head coach Chris Acker said. “One team was the team in the first half that we’re trying to avoid being for every game that we play moving forward, and then in the second half, we were the team we’re trying to become, so the goal is to be that team in the second half for 40 minutes and that’s what we’re chasing.”
LBSU sophomore forward Petar Majstorovic looks to score on the UCSB defense on Saturday. UCSB defeated LBSU 74-71 on Jan. 24 at the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid. Rehansa Kulatilleke | Long Beach Current
After dropping 26 points to lead all scorers in the previous meeting between UCSB and LBSU, Gauchos senior guard Aidan Mahaney picked up where he left off against The Beach, scoring the first four of six for UCSB.
Both teams came out the gates shooting efficiently from the field as they both shot above 50% past the halfway mark in the first half as LBSU trailed 20-15.
Mahaney kickstarted an 8-0 UCSB run with a wing three, shooting perfect from the field, as LBSU found two empty trips, leading to the Gauchos taking a commanding 28-15 lead.
Similar to their previous matchup, the Gaucho defense had Sykes quiet in the first half, as the freshman guard found his first points of the game with just four minutes left in the half.
A lack of production from LBSU’s offensive leader, who is battling against an injury, held The Beach behind the Gauchos as Mahaney stayed perfect.
A top of the key three from Mahaney led to another by a way of his own steal, extending UCSB’s lead to 44-29.
Leading by 15, the Gauchos finished the half shooting just under 60% from the field and beyond the arc, demonstrating why they have been the most efficient offense in the Big West this season.
Through their first 20 games, the Gauchos rank first in the conference in field goal percentage at 49% and first in three-point field goal percentage at 39%.
Mahaney finally showed he was human by opening the second half with his first miss of the night, as Majstorovic began to catch fire for LBSU, scoring back-to-back and-one layups, causing UCSB head coach Joe Pasternack to slam and break his clipboard during a timeout.
“At halftime, we saw that we wasn’t playing with our heart…after we started playing harder, we started playing defense more, so we got more opportunities in transition, and when we start getting in transition, I feel like nobody can stop us honestly,” Majstorovic said.
Majstorovic continued to look unreal as he scored nine straight for The Beach before a three from LBSU graduate student Shaquil Bender capped off a 10-3 run to cut the lead to 10.
A tough jumper from LBSU junior guard Isaiah Lewis, who finished the game with a season-high 16 points, and a wing three from Majstorovic cut the lead to five.
Pasternack was forced to call another UCSB timeout as Majstorovic turned to the student section screaming and flexing as the momentum began to shift into The Beach’s hands.
Goaltending from LBSU freshman forward Dallas Washington put The Beach back down 10 before five-straight from Bender led to a 7-0 run capped off by a layup from freshman forward Leopold Levillan as LBSU cut the deficit to 65-62.
Levillan found Bender open for three to tie the game at 67, sending the thousands in attendance into a frenzy as The Beach clawed all the way back from down 15 with just two minutes remaining.
Majstorovic fell just short of the game-tying three as UCSB held on to defeat LBSU, 74-71.
Acker reflected on his team’s resilience postgame.
LBSU junior guard Cole Farrell goes for a layup during The Beach’s 74-71 loss to UCSB on Saturday, Jan. 24 at the LBS Financial Credit Union. Rehansa Kulatilleke | Long Beach Current
“The one thing about this group that I love is that they like each other a lot, they really enjoy being around each other, and so I know, I can come in and challenge them like I did at halftime, and they’ll respond,” Acker said.
Although Acker was “excited” to see his team give themselves the opportunity at the end of the game to win, he wants his team to perform how they did in the second half, through the whole game.
The Beach has the opportunity to do that on the road next at UC Riverside on Thursday, Jan. 29.
Junior Contreras is a senior at California State University, Long Beach, majoring in journalism with a minor in communications. Beginning as a video assistant, Junior is a sports assistant of the Long Beach Current this year. After graduation, he plans to pursue a career in sports journalism.