UCSB at CSUN Recap

With a 77-66 victory over the Matadors, only a victory over the Long Beach State 49ers stands in the Gauchos way of getting a #1 seed in the Big West Tournament. While watching the game, my initial thoughts were that the Gauchos looked very good most of the time, but made some silly mistakes at points in the game. Looking at the box score was even more impressive.

This game was played to a pace of 73. The game seemed slower because the Gauchos got to the free throw line 39 times, slowing the pace. The Gauchos were efficient with a rating of 104.9, and held CSUN to a rating of 90.0. Truth be told, I expected UCSB's offensive rating to be much higher because they seemed to be so much more efficient.

Effective Field Goal Percentage
UCSB: 54.3%
CSUN: 45.0%

UCSB looked good on offense last night. This was the first time (that I noticed) the Gauchos off-the-ball players moving around and setting picks. This was especially evident early in the first half when the Gauchos seemed to get easy lay-up after easy lay-up. UCSB did a good job of finding the man down low and working the ball out and around the key when necessary.

The Gauchos made 7 of 18 three pointers for 38.9%, while holding CSUN to 5-21 (23.8%). The Gauchos hit the three pointers when they were open and didn't appear to force too many three pointers. A few of the CSUN three pointers came from NBA range, which is an indication of the defensive effort the Gauchos put out.

Free Throw Rate
UCSB: 83.0
CSUN: 62.0

After the game, I was very impressed with the number of times the Gauchos got to the line. They put CSUN into foul trouble early and took advantage in the second half. The only problem was the first half free throws. The Gauchos had the bonus early on, but didn't appear all too interested in attacking the hoop and getting to the line (of course, that could have been a result of the wide open lay-ups they were getting).

The second half was a different story as the Gauchos got to the line 30 times (39 total in the game). If UCSB shot their normal 75% (instead of 66.7%), this victory would have been more impressive. Paul Roemer was the main offender going 1-5, as everyone else shot well from the line. Their free throw shooting prowess paid off in the end when the Matadors were forced to put the Gauchos on the line and they made them pay.

Offensive Rebounding Percentage
UCSB: 25.4%
CSUN: 22.4%

This was the second area I was really impressed with. Early in the game, the Gauchos were getting to the glass and seemed to be swiping everything in sight. Although they gathered three more rebounds than CSUN, this was as impressive a performance as I've seen. Everyone got into the act, led by Mr. Harris' 7 boards.

Turnover Percentage
UCSB: 19.1%
CSUN: 24.5%

This category would have been much higher save for a couple really bad Gaucho decisions. All in all, UCSB did a good job of forcing turnovers and making CSUN play to their style. For once, the Gauchos seemed to impose their defensive style on the Matadors and it paid off with some nice turnovers, especially to start the game.

It was a good victory for the Gauchos and I'm looking forward to Saturday's afternoon matchup with the 49ers.