BIG WEST TOURNAMENT / OTHER GAMES : UC Santa Barbara Needs Help to Get Into NCAA

UC Santa Barbara did everything it could Friday night to ruin a chance at a berth in the NCAA tournament.

Facing the University of the Pacific in the quarterfinals of the Big West tournament at the Long Beach Arena, the Gauchos had a miserable shooting night and lost, 65-62.

Third-seeded Santa Barbara entered the game with a 20-7 record, had beaten third-ranked Nevada Las Vegas last week and was hoping the NCAA selection committee takes at least three teams from the Big West when it puts together the field Sunday.

Now, it’s anybody’s guess.

“NIT, NIT,” Cal State Long Beach fans, also hoping for an NCAA bid, chanted late in the game.

It may be the only alternative for the Gauchos.

“It’s out of my hands,” Santa Barbara Coach Jerry Pimm said. “Hopefully, we’ll get a chance to play somewhere else. We don’t want to end the season here.”

And certainly not in the fashion in which the Gauchos finished Friday’s game.

Pacific’s swarming defense forced Santa Barbara to shoot just 23.5% in the first half as the Tigers took a 33-25 lead. Santa Barbara finished 20 of 69 (29%) for the game.

Guard Idris Jones was 0 for 12, center Eric McArthur was three of 13, and Carrick DeHart, the other starting guard, was three of 10.

What’s worse, McArthur, the nation’s second-leading rebounder, was outplayed by Pacific center Don Lyttle.

Lyttle had 18 points and 12 rebounds to McArthur’s eight points and seven rebounds.

“We get up for these guys,” Lyttle said. “We don’t like them very much.”

Guard Dell Demps led Pacific with 19 points, most coming on drives and short jump shots.

“This is the biggest win since I’ve been at Pacific,” said Demps, a sophomore.

Indeed, Pacific’s last Big West tournament victory came was in 1985-86.

As a reward, the Tigers (15-13) play the winner of the Nevada Las Vegas-Cal State Fullerton game in the semifinals tonight at 9.

New Mexico State 72, Fresno State 66--The top-seeded Aggies trailed for most of the second half before defeating the Bulldogs, 72-66, in a quarterfinal game.

The Aggies, ranked 23rd by the Associated Press, fell behind by six points and did not regain the lead until only 3:36 remained.