ANCHORAGE, Alaska – John Clavell made two free throws with 5.7 second left to lift Colorado State to a 65-63 win over UC Santa Barbara in the championship game of the GCI Great Alaska Shootout on Saturday night.
Clavell was fouled by Michael Bryson after John Green made a three-pointer from above the top of the key to tie the score at 65-65 with just over nine seconds left in the game.
“That’s a tough one,” said UCSB head coach Bob Williams. “I thought we fought hard tonight, but in the end we just made a few mistakes. I made a few mistakes, that really cost us.”
Alan Williams finished with 22 points, 12 rebounds and four blocked shots to lead the Gauchos (3-3). Following the game he was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player. Williams was joined on the All-Tournament team by Zalmico Harmon and Bryson, the hero of UCSB’s game on Friday night.
J.J. Avila, Gian Clavell and John Gillon each had 13 to lead the Rams. Daniel Bejarano, a high school teammate of Alan Williams, had 10 points, 11 rebounds and four blocked shots.
Green finished with 12 points for the Gauchos, who had thier three-game winning streak snapped.
UCSB led by as many as four in the game and last led the game midway through the second half.
The game was decided somewhat at the free-throw line where Colorado State made 23-of-27, including 19-of-21 in the second half. The Gauchos were 10-of-16 from the stripe and just 6-of-11 in the second half.
UCSB returns to action on Thursday, Dec. 4 when it hosts Seattle University in a 7:30 game. That match-up will be preceded by a Gaucho women’s game against Washington State.
