March 12, 2010

Final Stats

ANAHEIM, Calif. - UC Santa Barbara built a 22-point lead but had to fight off a furious UC Davis rally in eventually winning, 76-62, Friday nigh in the semifinals of the Big West Tournament at the Anaheim Convention Center. Joe Harden led the Aggies with 20 points and seven rebounds, and Dominic Calegari added 18 points in his final collegiate game. James Powell topped UCSB with a game-high 22 points.

UC Davis, the No. 4 seed, finished the season 14-18 while No. 1 UCSB improved to 19-9 and advanced to Saturday's championship game.

The Gauchos dominated the first half on their way to a 31-11 halftime lead. The UCSB defense didn't allow a field goal until the 12:21 mark of the first half and surrendered just four baskets in the first half.

UCSB scored the first bucket of the second half to claim a 33-11 lead and led 34-14 before the Aggies began a dominating stretch of their own. It started with a 10-0 blitz in a span of two minutes and 30 seconds. Calegari scored seven points during the run, and his jumper at the 16:22 mark pulled UC Davis within 34-24.

The Aggie surge continued over the course of the next five minutes, and a pair of Calegari free throws suddenly made it 40-35 with 11:07 to play. In all, the Aggies outscored the Gauchos 21-6 in just over seven minutes.

The lead fluctuated between five and seven point for the next four minutes before UCSB pulled away. Leading 51-45, the Gauchos scored seven straight points to gain a 13-point cushion and led by as many as 15 points down the stretch.

The second half featured big performances by both Calegari and Powell. The lone Aggies senior scored 17 of his 18 points in the period while Powell tossed in 16.

UCSB shot 51 percent and held UC Davis to 40 percent. The Gauchos edged the Aggies, 30-29, on the boards. Both teams turned the ball over 13 times.

UC Davis freshman Julian Welch added 17 points.