The UCSB men’s basketball team led wire-to-wire, soaring to a 101-64 exhibition triumph over Sonoma State at the Thunderdome on Saturday.
With familiar faces and newly acquired transfers headlining the 2009-2010 squad, the Gauchos drowned the Seawolves with five different players reaching double-figures.
“The number one weapon we have is great depth,” head coach Bob Williams said. “We have options at every position.”
Sophomore guard Orlando Johnson, who sat out all last season due to his transfer from Loyola Marymount, got the party started when he scored seven of the first nine UCSB points in the opening minutes. He led the way with 21 points on 7-of-9 shooting, draining all three of his attempts from long distance.
“I was definitely nervous and couldn’t sleep last night,” Johnson said. “It was really exciting.”
Not only was the Gaucho offense running on all cylinders, but the defense was as well. UCSB picked a hole in the Seawolves’ pockets with 17 steals and had a blocking-spree, recording seven swats.
“We can play at a pace with our depth that can create turnovers,” Williams said. “We want our defense to generate offense.”
The game was close from the opening whistle, but UCSB went on a tear, outscoring Sonoma State 25-2 in a span of eight minutes. The Gauchos never relinquished the lead going into halftime with a 53-28 advantage.
The Gauchos continued to out-duel the Seawolves with sharp-shooting and suffocating defense in the second half. UCSB pinned Sonoma State into submission by winning the second half 48-36.
Sophomore guard Will Brew chipped in with a solid all-around performance, matriculating nine points, five assists and five steals in 21 minutes.
“I thought Will was sensational,” Williams said. “He has improved a lot from his freshman year to his sophomore year.”
The colossal point total is the most points scored by UCSB since it put up 81 points on December 13, 2008 against Loyola Marymount.
The Gauchos open regular season when Cal State Los Angeles drops by the Thunderdome on November 14 with a 7:05 p.m. tip off.
