Gauchos Nearly Had Win Up Their Sleeve

The score and the time weren’t the only numbers Coach Henry Bibby was thinking about as the seconds ticked down on USC’s 79-73 victory at UC Santa Barbara Friday night.

Bibby had a specific number in mind, one that he figured would be key to his team’s success.

“In a game situation, you have to put together three, four, five stops to beat people,” Bibby said.

The Trojans did just that. With tough defense and crucial rebounds by Brian Scalabrine and Sam Clancy, they went on a 9-2 run with four minutes remaining. That kept them from falling victim to the O-6 Gauchos and becoming another number.

“The percentages are going to catch up with [Santa Barbara] where they are going to win a game soon,” Bibby said.

*

The Gauchos made it rough on Scalabrine, their defense collapsing on the USC center for much of the game. The Trojans’ leading scorer finished with nine points, well below his 15.8-point average, and struggled to shoot over Santa Barbara’s Adama Ndiaye, who had three blocks.

But all that pressure inside created opportunities on the perimeter, where guards Elias Ayuso and Brandon Granville scored 22 and 21 points.