California State University Northridge Athletics
California State University at Northridge
6-21, 2-10BWC
UC Santa Barbara
13-11, 6-4BWC
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| UC Santa Barbara | 29 | 36 | 65 |
| CSUN | 32 | 25 | 57 |
Matadors Unlucky in 65-57 Loss to UC Santa Barbara
2/15/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
En Español
NORTHRIDGE, Calif. -
Taelin Webb led CSUN with 13 points off the bench but the Matadors (6-21, 2-10 Big West) were unable to hold off the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos (13-11, 6-4 Big West), falling 65-57 on Saturday night at The Matadome. Webb went 5-for-7 from the floor and 2-for-2 from beyond the arc, but the Gauchos rallied from a slim halftime deficit to overcome the Matadors by the end.
"We came out in the first half and played really well. We did things we needed to do defensively and we made shots. Unfortunately, the game is 40 minutes long," said CSUN head coach Reggie Theus. "We shot 56 percent in the first half, but just 33 percent in the second half. We beat them decisively on the boards and the guys were playing hard, but you have to make shots."
The teams played back-and-forth basketball throughout the first half with the Guachos holding the early advantage. After trailing by as many as five points just six minutes into the game, the Matadors rebounded to lead by eight with four minutes to go before halftime.
An acrobatic dunk followed by a fastbreak layup for Webb at the 7:09 mark allowed the Matadors to regain the lead. However, UC Santa Barbara went on a 7-2 run to close the margin to three before the teams went into the locker room.
A 3-pointer by Michael Bryson helped the Gauchos tie the game at 34-34 less than a minute into the second half and a tip-in basket for Sam Beeler a minute later gave UCSB a lead it would not relinquish. The Matadors made it a one-point game with 13:19 to go in regulation before free throws and 3-point shooting allowed the Gauchos to push the advantage to 10.
Unable to string together baskets and defensive stops, the Matadors did not get closer than five points the rest of the way.
Despite outrebounding UCSB 31-26 and shooting similar percentages from the floor (42.5 to 42.9), the Matadors could not create or convert the second-chance plays necessary to overtake the Gauchos before the final whistle. Sixteen CSUN turnovers lead to 20 UCSB points the other way and the Gauchos also connected on eight 3-pointers.
In addition to leading CSUN in scoring in the game, Webb had a rebound and a pair of assists in 23 minutes. Stephan Hicks and Aaron Parks each added 11 points while Stephen Maxwell finished with eight points and eight rebounds.
"I've always been prepared, it's just that I knew that in time my shots would fall," said Webb. "I have to stay with it, stay in the gym."
Bryson led all scorers with 26 points and went 9-for-14 from the floor, including 5-for-7 from 3-point territory.
The Matadors will take a break from Big West play for their next game when CSUN welcomes in Bethesda University on Tuesday, Feb. 17. Tipoff on The Blacktop @ The Matadome is scheduled for 7 p.m.
