DAVIS – UCSB and UC Davis were picked to finish 1-2 in the Big West’s preseason poll and the two battled like it on Thursday night at The Pavilion.
However UCSB’s Achilles Heel, the turnover, crept up on the team again as the Gauchos committed 27 turnovers in a 54-49 defeat to UC Davis.
Despite the turnovers UCSB (4-10 overall, 1-1 in the Big West) was in the game until the final half-minute, using a hot first half of shooting and a huge rebounding advantage to stay tight with the Aggies (9-6, 2-1).
The Gauchos outrebounded Davis 46-19 and nearly had as many offensive rebounds (16) as Davis had total rebounds. Jordan Franey and Mekia Valentine led UCSB with nine rebounds a piece as Franey just missed on her second double-double of the season as the senior scored 11 points.
Meagan Williams, playing near her hometown of Sacramento, led the Gauchos with 12 points while filling up the stat sheet. She had seven rebounds, three assists, three blocks and four steals.
Freshman Sweets Underwood tied her career best with seven boards while chipping in four points. Valentine and Emilie Johnson each had eight points.
UCSB took a 39-38 lead with 10:46 remaining in the game on a Williams bucket but missed its next eight shots, allowing the Aggies to take a five-point lead. The Gauchos closed the game to two points on Ariana Gnekow’s layup with 2:48 left, but that was as close as they’d get.
Santa Barbara made it a three-point game, 52-49 with 22 seconds remaining on another Gnekow basket, but a pair of free throws by the Aggies closed out the game.
UCSB will finish its road trip on Saturday vs. Pacific at 4 p.m. The game can be heard live on AM 990 or streaming online at UCSBgauchos.com.
