Orlando Johnson scored a career-high 27 points, including a 3-pointer with 3.4 seconds left in regulation to force overtime, and James Nunnally added a career-high 25 to lead UCSB to an 85-80 Big Weset Conference win over visiting Cal State Fullerton on Saturday night.
Johnson’s 3-pointer tied the score at 72-72 to end regulation and the Gauchos (10-7 overall, 5-2 in the Big West) never trailed the Titans (8-10, 3-4) the rest of the way.
After Jacques Streeter missed a 3-pointer to start the overtime, James Powell made one to give UCSB a 75-72 lead. On Fullerton’s next possession, Powell came up with a steal and a breakaway lay-up to push the advantage to 77-72 with 3:51 remaining in the extra period.
Devon Peltier, who finished with a career-high 21 points, made a long three from the corner to pull the Titans within two, 77-75, but Orlando Johnson answered with a lay-up to make it 79-75. After another steal by Powell, Will Brew made a hanging scoop shot to give the Gauchos an 81-75 lead with 1:26 to play.
Fullerton’s Aaron Thompson missed a 3-pointer that was rebounded by Santa Barbara. Brew was fouled with 1:03 left, making 1-of-2 free throws to make it 82-75 Gauchos. Streeter responded with a 3-pointer from the left side and the lead was back to four, 82-78. Brew was fouled again just after the inbounds pass and, again, he made 1-of-2 free throws to stretch the lead to five, 83-78.
The Titans’ Jer’Vaughn Johnson was fouled by Orlando Johnson with 31 seconds left, making two free throws to trim the lead to 83-80. A UCSB turnover just after the ball was inbounded gave Fullerton another chance with 29 seconds to play, but Streeter and Peltier each missed three-pointers. Peltier’s miss was rebounded by Will Brew who got the ball to Nunnally for a breakaway slam dunk and an 85-80 Gaucho win.
Johnson’s heroics at the end of regulation saved UCSB. The Gauchos allowed a 16-point second half lead to vanish. Trailing 51-35 with 14:59 to play, the Titans went on an 11-0 run to pull within five, 51-46, with 12:51 remaining. UCSB pushed the lead back to 64-53 with 6:04 left, but a 10-0 Fullerton run, capped by a Gerard Anderson lay-up, made it 64-63 with just over three minutes to play.
The Titans tied the game at 67 on a pair of free throws by Peltier with 1:24 to play in regulation. After a lay-up by UCSB’s Johnson, Peltier made a 3-pointer to give his team its first lead of the game, 70-69, with 47 seconds left. UCSB missed what would have been a game-tying shot on the other end and Peltier was fouled. He made a pair of free throws with 18 seconds left, setting the stage for Johnson’s clutch 3-pointer.
