Titans Put Up Good Fight, but Santa Barbara Prevails

GOLETA — A return to their home court apparently turned out to be exactly what UC Santa Barbara and Raymond Tutt needed.

The Gauchos (6-7, 1-2), winless in five games on the road, held off Cal State Fullerton in the final minute and went on to an 83-76 Big West Conference victory in the Thunderdome Thursday night behind Tutt’s 36-point performance.

The Titans (8-5, 1-2) were hurt by early foul problems to John Williams, who managed to score 21 points despite playing only 20 minutes. Chris Dade led the Titans with 24 points.

Fullerton Coach Bob Hawking thought Santa Barbara’s 45-24 rebounding advantage and Williams’ foul trouble turned out to be decisive, even though Fullerton battled back from an 18-point deficit to make it a two-point game at 78-76 after a three-point play by Williams with 35 seconds left.

Soon afterward, Gaucho reserve Paul Chavez made one free throw, and Kealon Wallace tipped in the missed second attempt for a three-point play that pushed Santa Barbara’s lead to 81-76.

“I’d like to see that tip-in on film because from our standpoint it looked like it was in the cylinder,” Hawking said. “It was a three-point game at that point, and who knows what would have happened if that was called goal-tending.”

Santa Barbara Coach Jerry Pimm also thought it was a call that could have gone either way. “It was close . . . it could well have been goal tending, but I really couldn’t tell from where I was. It might have made a difference.”

Hawking also was concerned about how physical the game turned out to be.

“It was an intense game, and a very physical one,” Hawking said. “Santa Barbara controlled the game on the glass, and when you get outrebounded by 21 it hurts. It was physical right from the beginning. Chris St. Clair was popped pretty good about four times, but only one drew blood. “

Williams picked up his third foul with slightly more than seven minutes remaining in the first half, then was called for a technical immediately afterward.

“The technical was called on John after a foul when he wasn’t close to the play,” Hawking said. “He was trying to explain that to the official. He’s our leading scorer and when he goes out that’s a huge determining factor in the game.”

Pimm agreed with Hawking that having Williams in such early foul trouble was a big factor “Williams is a heck of a player.”

Both coaches, however, praised Tutt’s scoring effort, only three points below the school record and one point fewer than his season high. “He’s a scoring machine,” Hawking said.

Tutt made 13 of 19 shots from the floor, and Santa Barbara shot 49.1% from the field compared to 42.1% for the Titans.

Tutt got the Gauchos rolling midway through the first half with nine consecutive points, and two consecutive three-point baskets by reserve Matt Stock put Santa Barbara on the road to a 44-32 halftime lead.

Williams picked up two fouls in the early minutes, and played only eight minutes before the break. Dade tried to pick up the slack, scoring 12 points in the first half, but his effort was overshadowed by Tutt’s show.

The Gauchos were six for eight on three-point shots in the first half with Tutt three for three.

Williams didn’t return to the game until five minutes into the second half and the Gauchos leading 54-42. Santa Barbara went on to lead by as much as 18 points with less than nine minutes left, but the Titans fought their way back to close the gap to six points with 3:55 to play.