Trailing 64-63 with time winding down in overtime Ajay Mitchell dribbled along the baseline and found a cutting Jason Fontenet, who scored through contact for a game-winning three-point play.
The overtime heroics helped the Gauchos avoid a disappointing loss on their home floor as they escaped a back-and-forth game with a 66-64 victory over visiting Cal State Bakersfield.
“We were not very good tonight. Overall, I am just so proud of the fight our team had to the very last second. We couldn’t make a free throw, we turned the ball over 19 times, and they out-rebounded us. Every stat was against us,” said UCSB head coach Joe Pasternack. “One word we use is attitude, which is how you respond when something bad is happening, and our guys just kept fighting, fighting, fighting until the bitter end and I couldn’t be prouder of their grit.”
Mitchell finished with a game high 22 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the field. Josh Pierre-Louis added 12 points and Cole Anderson scored all eleven of his points late in the second half and in overtime.
The Gauchos will return to the Thunderdome for a matchup against Long Beach State on Saturday, January 13. Tip off is at 7 p.m. and the game will be televised on ESPNU.