UC Santa Barbara men’s basketball held a tough fight against UC Irvine in the Big West Tournament semifinals but ultimately fell in the final minute to UC Irvine, 61-58.
The Gauchos went cold in the final ten minutes, missing 13 of its last 14 shots, including the final three-pointer by Marcus Jackson that could have tied the game in the final few seconds.
Despite the loss, UCSB accomplished a historic turnaround season. The Gauchos had the largest increase in wins from one season to the next, setting a Big West Conference Record.
UC Santa Barbara also recorded 11 consecutive wins to start the season which was a school record.
First-year head coach Joe Pasternack set himself as the most successful first-year head coach in program history.
"I don’t focus on the results, there’s no way to predict results or how many wins you’re going to have or losses," said Pasternack. "It was all about doing what we do on a daily basis and the results would take care of itself. That’s kind of how I live my life, and the results took care of itself."
