Alan Williams made 8-of-11 shots and finished with 22 points and 18 rebounds.
Two horsepower might not be much in the automotive world, but for the UCSB Gauchos, it was a tremendously powerful force on Saturday.
It needed to be in order to top Cal State Fullerton’s own calvary.
“That’s two horses that we’re trotting up and down the floor tonight,” said UCSB head coach Bob Williams, referring to Zalmico Harmon and Alan Williams. “And make it three with (Fullerton’s) Michael Williams.”
Harmon and Williams posted impressive double-doubles and the Gauchos bettered Michael Williams and Fullerton 80-65 in the Thunderdome.
Harmon had his best statistical game as a Gaucho, totaling 20 points, 10 assists and no turnovers. The JC transfer shot the ball well, making 2-of-2 from beyond the arc and all eight of his free throws. Already with one of the best assist-to-turnover ratios in the country, Harmon now has 49 assists and three turnovers in the last nine games.
“He was a stud. He’s absolutely a stud and he’s getting better,” Williams said.
Even though it’s his first year with the team, Harmon is growing into a leadership role as the team’s starting point guard.
“I feel like my voice is being heard a lot more,” said Harmon, a junior transfer from Ventura College. “Al, Mike and a lot of the players do a great job of helping other players hear me and hear what I want them to do just for the betterment of the team.”
Alan Williams has been banged up, but said he felt as good as he has in a while. It translated to 22 points, 18 rebounds and three blocks on 8-of-11 field goals.
“Man it felt good to be out there and play the way we did. It felt great,” Alan Williams said.
The 18 rebounds makes Williams the country’s leading rebounder as of the moment. [NCAA REBOUNDING LEADERS]
UCSB point guard Zalmico Harmon drives against Fullerton’s Michael Williams
The Gauchos led by as many as 17 in the second half but Fullerton cut the lead to single digits several times using the shooting of Michael Williams, who finished with a game-high 29 points.
Twenty-three of Williams’ 29 came in the second half as he and Harmon battled each other.
“That’s as good a one on one exhibition as I’ve seen in a long time,” Bob Williams said.
UCSB was efficient, taking only 46 shots and making 26 of them.
“I think we took good shots,” said UCSB forward Michael Bryson. “I think we didn’t rush to take 3s this game. We really tried to make sure we got a good shot every possession.”
UCSB’s victory makes the Gauchos 9-3 in the conference standings, while Fullerton falls to 4-8. Northridge defeated UC Irvine on Saturday in other Big West activity, bringing the Gauchos into a first-place tie with the Anteaters.
The Gauchos face Irvine next Thursday in their next contest. After that, UCSB closes out its regular season at UC Davis, vs. Hawaii, and at Cal Poly.
“This is our toughest stretch in front of us right now,” Bob Williams acknowledged.
