Jordan Weiner scored a career-high 16 points to lead four players in double-figures and UCSB overcame some hot early shooting by visiting Cal Baptist en route to a 76-52 win on Tuesday night.
Weiner made 6-of-9 shots overall and 4-of-7 from three-point range to help the Gauchos (6-4) overcome an early five-point Lancer (6-6) lead and win for the fourth time in the last five games. Jerome Lowe made three 3-pointers in the first 3:14 to boost Cal Baptist, which led 8-3 with just over two minutes gone in the game.
Trailing 18-17 with 13:12 to play in the first half, UCSB substituted five reserves into the game. In addition to Weiner, Troy Leaf, Jon Pastorek, Justin Joyner and Lucas Devenny came in. As a group, the reserves helped the Gauchos end the half on a 22-7 run to take a 39-25 lead.
Cal Baptist opened the second half with a 7-0 surge to pull within 39-32 with 17:14 remaining in the game. Once again the five reserves substituted in as a group and restored order. They stayed in the game until there was just 6:12 left and UCSB held a decisive 65-41 lead.
“This was a good game for out bench to get involved,” said Gaucho head coach Bob Williams. “They brought a lot of energy on both ends of the court and were really decisive in putting this game away.”
Weiner became the first UCSB player other than James Nunnally and Orlando Johnson to lead the team in scoring this season. The senior from Encino was joined in double-figures by Nunnally and Kyle Boswell who had 11 points apiece and Johnson who scored 10. For Boswell, it was a career-high. It marked the first time this season that the Gauchos had four players with 10 or more points in a game.
“Jordan was very good tonight,” Williams said. “He is so important to what we do defensively and he can really score from outside. I thought he showed some senior leadership tonight and really sparked us when we were kind of flat.”
Santa Barbara, which played without starting forward Jaimé Serna who sat out with a strained groin, shot a season-best 58.0% from the field and made as season-high 13 three-pointers. In addition to Weiner’s four threes, Boswell made 3-of-4 and Johnson hit a pair. In all, seven different Gauchos made at least one shot from long distance. The team’s reserves scored a season-high 38 points, exactly half of the to the team’s total, and the bench group logged 112 minutes of action as opposed to 88 for the starters.
Cal Baptist was led by forward Brannon Bradley who had game-highs of 17 points and nine rebounds. Lowe finished with 10 points.
The Gauchos return to action on Tuesday, Dec. 28 when they host Long Beach State at the Thunderdome in the Big West Conference opener for both teams. The game, which will be televised on ESPNU, is a rematch of last season’s Big West Tournament championship game.
