UCSB Holds Off Cajuns, 85-77

UC Santa Barbara used a 9-0 run to establish a double-digit lead, then held off a furious Louisiana rally to take an 85-77 win over the Cajuns Sunday evening at the Cajundome before an announced crowd of 3,455.

Matt Freeman, a graduate transfer from Oklahoma and Jaquori McLaughlin led the Gauchos with 17 points each, while Devearl Ramsey added 16 and Robinson Idehen chipped in ten.

The Cajuns (5-8) got a career-high 17 points from Trajan Wesley, while Mylik Wilson and Dou Gueye equaled their career highs with 16 and 15, respectively.  Cedric Russell scored 16, while Jalen Johnson added 12.

The Gauchos (10-4) took a one-point lead into the locker room at halftime and led by two, 52-50 after a Wesley three-point basket with 11:02 t,o play.  But Ramsey answered with a triple of his own, Brandon Cyrus hit a layup and Selou Toure' scored inside to make it a nine-point game.  After technical fouls against both teams, Freeman hit a pair of free throws to give UCSB its biggest lead, 61-50 with 8:53 left before Cedric Russell hit two free throws to get the lead back into single digits.

The Gauchos led by ten, 64-54 with 5:43 to play before Louisiana mounted a comeback and made it a one-possession game after an old fashioned three-point play by Wesley with 1:15 to play, but that was as close as the Cajuns would get.

UCSB used a 32-21 rebounding advantage to score 16 second-chance points, while the Cajuns put up just two points in that category.

Louisiana hosts conference foe South Alabama Thursday night at 7:00 pm