UCSB’s women’s basketball team made Thursday night’s home game look easy – way too easy.
Fifteen straight unanswered points from tip-off provided an early signpost for an easy Gaucho win over the Pacific Tigers in Thursday night’s 71-34 Big West Conference massacre.
And on a night that got UCSB over the .500 mark in conference, the Gauchos -both individually and as a team- were also able to shake up the record books.
The 37-point difference is UCSB’s biggest win since Jan. 5, 2008 and the largest win ever against Pacific.
“I’m just gonna go out on a limb and say that a win like this feels good,” second year head coach Lindsay Gottlieb said.
The Gauchos (8-13, 5-4) also held the Tigers to eight points in the first half, tying for the second lowest amount of points that a Gaucho team has ever allowed in a half.
The Tigers’ (3-18, 1-8) first points came midway through the first half on a pair of free throws from point guard Eliza Dy. Pacific’s first-and-only field goal of the half came with eight minutes remaining on a left-wing trey from Erica McKenzie. Pacific shot a meager 1-23 from the field in the half.
None of Pacific’s players scored in double figures.
Gottlieb credits pinning down the Tiger offense to her team’s active defensive schemes and its big hustle on the boards.
“We didn’t give them second or third chances,” said Gottlieb. “And that put us on top.”
Santa Barbara picked up 50 boards total while Pacific was held to 28.
Mekia Valentine led the defensive front with five blocks, four coming in the first half. Valentine now has 70 blocks on the season, giving her the single season record for a Gaucho, and 10th all-time in UCSB history. Valentine ranks third in the country, averaging 3.7 blocks per game.
“I knew that my offense wasn’t clicking at first, but I knew that I could play good defense and rebound.” said Valentine. “So I did whatever I could to help out.”
“Five blocks is a typical day at the office,” Gottlieb joked of her 6-foot-4 center.
Valentine finished with 12 points – nine coming in the second half- and 13 rebounds.
Guards Meagan Williams and Emilie Johnson led the offensive threat with 14 points.
The Gauchos also went 4-5 from beyond the arc in the first half, and 5-8 throughout the game.
Williams ability to make shots and handle the ball has coach Gottlieb confident the Gauchos can make the Big West playoffs.
“If I had a dollar for every time someone told me they were impressed by Meagan, I’d be retired with a lot of money in the bank,” said Gottlieb. “She’s playing at a high intensity level.”
Thirteen of Pacific’s 18 losses have come by 10 or more points.
“We’re coming out every game with a new sense of urgency,” guard Emilie Johnson said of the mentality her team is taking as they move into the second half of their conference schedule.
The Gauchos will play first-place UC Davis at 2 p.m. this Saturday in the Thunderdome.
UCSB lost 54-49 against Davis (15-7, 6-1) in their Jan. 7 matchup. UCSB is 11-4 all-time against Davis and has won five of their last seven meetings.
Gottlieb said that Davis’ depth and gritty defense could pose a threat to the Gauchos. But she’s confident they’ve made the proper adjustments in recent weeks.
“We’ve gotten better, but they’re gonna come in hungry.” said Gottlieb. “But we can do some things better than when we faced them last time.”
