Bobcats Fall in Thunderdome
11/24/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Alex Harris scored 29 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead Big West favorite UC Santa Barbara to a 76-61 home win over Montana State on Saturday.
Tied at halftime, the Bobcats trailed 58-55 when center Divaldo Mbunga converted a layup with seven-and-a-half minutes to play. MSU failed to score for three minutes, and didn't hit a field goal for the next five minutes, however, as the Gauchos raced to the win.
While Harris scored only five points in UCSB's game-clinching 18-6 run, he dominated the first 32 minutes of the game. The senior guard was 6-for-13 from the field and 2-for-5 from three-point range, but nailed 15 of his 18 free throw attempts.
"They had one kid that was just outstanding," said Bobcat coach Brad Huse. "Alex Harris is a great player, and we couldn’t' stop him. He did a great job."
Huse also said the Gauchos stepped up their defensive execution in the second half. "I credit them. Their defense is hard to penetrate, it's hard to get the ball to the post. They did some very good things defensively."
Mbunga scored 17 points on 6-for-8 shooting for the Bobcats, and also grabbed a game-high nine rebounds. Junior guard Phil Friesen, who grew up within minutes of UCSB's Thunderdome, netted a career-high 16 points.
While Huse said he was disappointed with the outcome, he was pleased with some elements of the game. "We improved tonight," he said. "We're learning. We learned how to start a game on the road, we learned how to finish a half on the road."
Tied at halftime, the Bobcats trailed 58-55 when center Divaldo Mbunga converted a layup with seven-and-a-half minutes to play. MSU failed to score for three minutes, and didn't hit a field goal for the next five minutes, however, as the Gauchos raced to the win.
While Harris scored only five points in UCSB's game-clinching 18-6 run, he dominated the first 32 minutes of the game. The senior guard was 6-for-13 from the field and 2-for-5 from three-point range, but nailed 15 of his 18 free throw attempts.
"They had one kid that was just outstanding," said Bobcat coach Brad Huse. "Alex Harris is a great player, and we couldn’t' stop him. He did a great job."
Huse also said the Gauchos stepped up their defensive execution in the second half. "I credit them. Their defense is hard to penetrate, it's hard to get the ball to the post. They did some very good things defensively."
Mbunga scored 17 points on 6-for-8 shooting for the Bobcats, and also grabbed a game-high nine rebounds. Junior guard Phil Friesen, who grew up within minutes of UCSB's Thunderdome, netted a career-high 16 points.
While Huse said he was disappointed with the outcome, he was pleased with some elements of the game. "We improved tonight," he said. "We're learning. We learned how to start a game on the road, we learned how to finish a half on the road."
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