UCSB handled Pepperdine’s shooters just fine. It was the defensive press that the Waves employed that doomed the Gauchos on Sunday afternoon at the Thunderdome.
Pepperdine won, 56-49, despite shooting just 22% from the floor. But, the Waves had a full-court press throughout the entire game, forcing 17 UCSB turnovers, and countless other errors that aren’t revealed in a final box score.
UCSB falls to 3-7 this season, the Gauchos’ worst start to a season since 1983-84, a team that finished 3-25. Pepperdine improves to 8-4.
“That’s a game that we could have easily won by 20 points,” UCSB junior Mekia Valentine said. “Then a reality check hit us and we ended up losing.”
Valentine had 17 points and eight rebounds with a pair of blocked shots while Emilie Johnson led all scorers with 20 points, while pulling down four rebounds and dishing out four assists.
However, Johnson was hounded in the backcourt and the Gauchos’ offense suffered.
“We don’t have a sense of urgency bringing the ball up the floor,” Valentine said. “We don’t realize that we have a huge lineup back there (in the frontcourt). We’ve got to get it up. We’re just dribbling too much.”
UCSB was close throughout the game, however, despite being outrebounded 44-36, including Pepperdine bringing in 18 offensive boards. The Gauchos trailed by just three points with 23 seconds left and Meagan Williams’ three-point attempt in the final seconds rimmed out.
The Gauchos have a week off before traveling to Moscow, Idaho to take on the Vandals in a two-game road trip to finish 2009. UCSB opens 2010 with a Jan. 2 game vs. UC Irvine.
