Gauchos work overtime to clinch Big West

Alex Harris and Chris Devine each made a free throw with less than a second remaining in overtime to give UC Santa Barbara a 70-68 victory over Long Beach State at Long Beach.

The win gives the Gauchos, 23-7 overall, 12-4 Big West Conference, the regular-season title and the No. 1 seeding in the conference tournament that starts Wednesday at the Anaheim Convention Center.

With the score tied at 68-68 and 1.8 seconds remaining in overtime, Justin Joyner threw an inbounds pass three-quarters of the length of the court to Devine, who caught the pass, turned to shoot and was fouled with three seconds left.

Devine missed his first free throw and Long Beach immediately called a timeout. However, the 49ers (6-24, 3-13) did not have one left. The referee assessed them with a two-shot technical foul. Harris made the first of two free throws but missed the second. Devine then went back to the line and made his second free throw to give the Gauchos a 70-68 lead.

Greg Plater’s three-point attempt fell short as the game ended.

Harris led UC Barbara with 21 points and Devine added 17 points. Donavan Morris scored a career-high 33 points for the 49ers but fouled out with 2:40 left in overtime.

Cal State Northridge 97, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo 67 -- Deon Tresvant scored all of his 21 points in the second half, Jonathan Heard scored 19 and Calvin Chitwood added 17 to lead the Matadors over the Mustangs at Northridge.

The Matadors (20-9, 12-4) earned the No. 2 seeding in the Big West tournament.

Northridge (20-9, 12-4) made a season-high 16 three-point baskets. Tresvant, Chitwood and Josh Jenkins combined for 14.

The Mustangs shot 64% from the field in the first half and trailed, 45-38. They shot 26% in the second half. Northridge shot 57% in the first half and 63% in the second half.

Cal Poly (12-17, 7-9) led by as many as seven points in the first half before Northridge made six consecutive three-pointers, including three by Chitwood, during the final 5:09 to cap a 22-10 run.

Tresvant made two three-pointers during a 10-0 run that put Northridge ahead by double-digits to stay with 15:04 left.

Cal State Fullerton 74, UC Irvine 66 -- Josh Akognon scored 15 points and Frank Robinson had 14 to lead the Titans (21-8, 12-4 Big West) over the Anteaters (15-15, 9-7) at the Bren Events Center.

Fullerton opened the second half on a 9-2 run capped by an Akognon three-pointer with 16:52 left. Irvine got as close as three points at 50-47, but the Titans went on a 14-3 run to put the game out of reach.

UC Riverside 75, UC Davis 66 -- Sean Cunningham scored 22 points at Riverside to help the Highlanders (8-20, 4-12) earn a berth in the Big West tournament.

Riverside beat the Aggies (9-22, 2-14) in what amounted to a play-in game for the tournament, which takes eight of the conference’s nine teams.