Gauchos Catch Matadors Short

UC Santa Barbara had only seven players available Thursday night for its Big West Conference game against Cal State Northridge at Goleta because of injuries. Unfortunately for the Matadors, it seemed as though they were all on the floor at the Thunderdome at the same time.

Senior guard Chrismen Oliver scored 16 of his career-high 21 points in the second half for the Gauchos, who played with intensity during a 65-52 victory that ended Northridge’s six-game winning streak.

The Gauchos were down to six players for more than five minutes in the second half after forward Glenn Turner was taken to the locker room because of a sprained right ankle.

But Santa Barbara, 7-8 overall, 4-3 in the Big West, used a 13-6 run upon Turner’s return to take a 50-36 lead with 8:35 remaining.

Northridge (8-8, 6-2), which shot 35.7% in the second half and committed 21 turnovers, would get no closer than 10 points the rest of the way. The Matadors have lost six consecutive games at Santa Barbara, where they have not won since 1981.

“They took the game to another level and we didn’t respond at all,” Northridge Coach Bobby Braswell said. “They caught us flat-footed. Defensively, we didn’t match their intensity.”

Ben Bolch

*

Utah State 84, Cal State Fullerton 60 -- Back-to-back three-point baskets by Jaycee Carroll -- who twice left the game in the first half because of an ankle injury -- helped fuel an 8-2 run to start the second half for the Aggies (12-5, 3-3) at Logan, Utah.

Utah State ended the first half with an 11-0 run, highlighted by a half-court shot by Carroll at the buzzer. He finished with 21 points. Ralphy Holmes led Fullerton (8-6, 3-3) with 14 points.

UC Irvine 78, Long Beach State 58 -- The 49ers (2-14, 0-7) have lost 17 consecutive conference games and 15 successive road games since Jan. 29, 2004. Jeff Gloger scored six points during a 15-0 run that gave the Anteaters (8-6, 3-4) a 17-2 lead. The 49ers missed nine consecutive shots and failed to score during a span of 6:24.

Idaho 56, UC Riverside 54 -- Dandrick Jones scored six points during a four-minute stretch in the second half to spark the Vandals (6-11, 4-2) at Moscow, Idaho. They built a 48-40 lead and withstood a late run by the Highlanders (6-9, 2-4). Riverside’s Larry Cunningham had 18 points.

Pacific 90, Cal Poly SLO 78 -- The first-place Tigers (13-2, 8-0) were perfect from the free-throw line at San Luis Obispo. They made all 21 of their free throws, a school record. The Mustangs (3-12, 1-6) lost their sixth in a row.

Associated Press contributed to this report.