Pacific Stops Santa Barbara

Pacific is doing all the things preseason Big West Conference title favorite UC Santa Barbara envisioned it would accomplish. Now the Tigers are the team in the race for the regular-season conference championship.

Miah Davis made six consecutive free throws down the stretch and Pacific used several key defensive plays to foil the Gauchos with a gritty 61-58 victory Thursday night before 2,308 at the Thunderdome in Goleta.

The Tigers (18-7, 13-1 Big West) won their ninth in a row and remained in a tie for first with Utah State.

David Doubley made two free throws with 13.7 seconds left, then Santa Barbara’s Joe See and Nick Jones missed three-point attempts that would have forced overtime.

“We got two of the best guys in the league shooting free throws at the end,� Pacific Coach Bob Thomason said. “It wasn’t our best game tonight but just a good, steady dig-it-out game and I’m proud of the kids for that.�

Davis led the Tigers with 15 points.

“Their offense didn’t score a bucket for them late,� Santa Barbara Coach Bob Williams said. “Miah Davis did it for them.�

Branduinn Fullove led Santa Barbara (13-9, 7-6) with 16 points. The Gauchos missed eight of 21 free throws and shot only 29% in the second half.

Eric Stephens

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Utah State 77, UC Riverside 72 -- Spencer Nelson scored 15 points and had 10 rebounds before fouling out in overtime as the Aggies held off the Highlanders at Logan, Utah.

The loss snapped a two-game winning streak for Riverside, (8-13, 5-8), which fell to 1-10 on the road. Riverside has never won in Logan.

Cardell Butler made four free throws for Utah State (21-2, 13-1 Big West) in the final 22 seconds of overtime.

Riverside led by as many as six with a little over five minutes remaining in regulation before collapsing down the stretch.

Nate Carter led the Highlanders with 19 points, Mark Peters had 14 and Matt Benson scored 11.

Cal State Northridge 81, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo 70 -- Ian Boylan scored 26 points as the Matadors overcame a 12-point halftime deficit at Northridge.

Etoagwara Onyenegecha added 19 points for the Matadors (10-12, 6-8), who scored the first 12 points of the second half to tie the score, all on three-point baskets from Davin White. White finished with 17 points.

Varnie Dennis led Cal Poly (8-13, 3-10) with 18 points and 10 rebounds.

Idaho 66, Cal State Fullerton 56 -- Tyrone Hayes scored 18 points at Moscow, Idaho, as the Vandals won took control with a 14-4 run during a seven-minute span of the second half.

Dwayne Williams had 14 points for Idaho (11-13, 7-7), which has won five in a row at home. Fullerton (9-13, 5-8) was led by Pape Sow’s 15 points and 10 rebounds.