In each of the last 11 years, Long Beach State and UC Santa Barbara have played at least one game in their season series that was decided by three points or less. The two men's basketball foes, picked to finish one-two in the preseason media poll, meet in the Walter Pyramid this Thursday.
NOTEWORTHY
Keep An Eye On
James Nunnally, UC Santa Barbara
Nunnally was a key factor in UC Santa Barbara’s 3-0 record last week. The sophomore forward notched his first career double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds in a win at UC Riverside. He posted 20 points and six boards in an important one-point victory against Pacific. It was his third 20-point effort of the year. Nunnally also had 17 points and eight rebounds against UC Davis. Nunnally shot 52.6% (20 of 38) from the field and 50.0% (6 of 12) from beyond the arc in the three wins. He is No. 11 in the Big West in scoring at 13.2 points per game.
More Notables
UC Santa Barbara Grabs League Lead With Big Week
Suddenly streaking UC Santa Barbara took over the lead in the Big West standings after posting victories over UC Riverside, UC Davis and Pacific last week. The Gauchos (8-6, 3-1 Big West), which had lost six of seven prior to last week’s burst, put first place on the line when they travel to preseason league favorite Long Beach State for a showdown on Thursday. The Gauchos lead Pacific, Cal State Fullerton and Cal Poly by just one-half game. UCSB started the season on a four-game win streak, then hit a lull, and rebounded with three straight wins. Three of UCSB’s four league games have been decided by four points or less.
Seatbelts Please
The first two weeks of league competition have revealed parity amongst the members. Of the 15 games that have been played, eight have been decided by four points or less. UC Santa Barbara, Pacific and Cal State Fullerton all could easily be undefeated in Big West play if not for narrow setbacks. Both UCI and UCSB already have been involved in three nailbiters, including against one another. The Anteaters nipped the Gauchos, 57-55, on the opening night of league action. That loss denied UCSB a 4-0 start to Big West play.
CLOSE OUTCOMES IN BIG WEST PLAY
Through Jan. 10 • 15 total games played
Teams Result Margin
Cal State Fullerton@UC Davis UCD, 67-63 4 points
Long Beach State@UC Riverside UCR, 69-67 2 points
UC Santa Barbara@UC Irvine UCI, 57-55 2 points
UC Santa Barbara@UC Riverside UCSB, 57-53 4 points
UC Irvine@Cal State Northridge UCI, 65-62 3 points
UC Irvine@Long Beach State LBSU, 55-53 2 points
UC Davis@Cal Poly CP, 72-69 3 points
Pacific@UC Santa Barbara UCSB, 68-67 1 point
Lights, Camera, Action
ESPN and the Big West Conference announced on Monday that the Pacific at UC Riverside game on Saturday, Jan. 30 will be televised on ESPN2 at 5:00 p.m. It marks the first time that the Student Recreation Center will be hosting one of the ESPN family of networks. UCR had a 10-game home court winning streak before losing back-to-back games to UC Santa Barbara and Cal State Fullerton in a week’s span. The Highlanders defeated Long Beach State, 69-67 in overtime, in the Big West opener as part of a conference-opening three-game homestand.
Payneful For The Aggies
The Big West leader in scoring (17.2 ppg), field goal percentage (.569) and steals (3.2 spg), Mark Payne is one of the leading candidates for the conference’s Player of the Year award. Unfortunately, Payne’s talents are in hiatus while he recovers from a shoulder injury he suffered during the second half of a Jan. 2 game versus Cal State Fullerton. The Aggies are 1-2 in Payne’s absence. They scored a season-low 47 points in a loss to UC Santa Barbara last Friday.
Tum Ta-Ta-Ta Tums
It might just be time for antacid week once again in the world of Bob Williams. The 12th year UC Santa Barbara head coach leads his team into a Thursday showdown at Long Beach State. The 49ers and Gauchos are good for at least one nailbiter - or heartbreaker depending on whose perspective - per season. Consider that Williams has lost six games to LBSU by one point, and eight by three points or less during his reign. In recent years, outcomes have shifted in Williams’ favor, as the Gauchos have won four games by three points or less against LBSU since 2006. Last season, UC Santa Barbara improved its Big West Tournament seeding position from No. 8 to No. 4 on James Nunnally’s game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer.
Date Score Winner Location
2/4/99 63-62 LBSU by 1 Long Beach
3/2/00 72-69 LBSU by 3 Santa Barbara
1/18/01 76-75 LBSU by 1 Santa Barbara
2/21/02 77-74 LBSU by 3 Long Beach
2/1/03 68-67 LBSU by 1 Long Beach
1/3/04 63-62 LBSU by 1 Long Beach
3/5/05 58-57 LBSU by 1 Long Beach
1/7/06 77-74 UCSB by 3 Santa Barbara
2/11/06 81-78 UCSB by 3 Long Beach
2/10/07 68-67 LBSU by 1 Santa Barbara
3/8/08 70-68 (ot) UCSB by 2 Long Beach
3/7/09 76-75 UCSB by 1 Santa Barbara
Coaching Milestones On The Horizon
A pair of head coaches are poised to enter the top five in all time victories while a member of the Big West coaching fraternity. Pat Douglass, in his 13th year at the helm of UC Irvine, is currently No. 6 all-time with 191 victories. He is the all-time winningest coach at UCI. He needs four wins to surpass Fresno State’s Boyd Grant (1978-86) in the No. 5 spot. A 17-win season for Douglass would make him just the fifth coach to reach the 200-win plateau.
UC Santa Barbara’s Bob Williams enters his 12th season on the Central Coast campus just four wins behind Douglass in the record book. He is 187-152 with the Gauchos. Williams has posted two 20-win seasons (2001-02, 2007-08) during his tenure.
ALL-TIME VICTORY LEADERS - BIG WEST TENURE
Rk. Coach, School No.
1. Jerry Tarkanian, LBSU & UNLV 405
2. Bob Thomason, Pacific 373
3. Neil McCarthy, New Mexico State 248
4. Jerry Pimm, UC Santa Barbara 222
5. Boyd Grant, Fresno State 194
6. Pat Douglass, UC Irvine 191
7. Bob Williams, UC Santa Barbara 187
8. Stew Morrill, Utah State 167
9. Bill Mulligan, UC Irvine 163
10. Rod Tueller, Utah State 158
Bold denotes active Big West head coach
Cal Poly Announces Its Presence
Cal Poly was picked to finish last in the preseason media poll, but the Mustangs dispelled any notion of being a cellar dwellar based on last week’s outcomes. The Mustangs went 2-1 in a busy week of action, walloping UC Irvine on the road by 14 and beating UC Davis by three at home.
Follow Your Team On BigWest.TV
The Big West Conference and the CBS College Sports Network are partnering to bring you exclusive coverage of Big West sports, press conferences, interviews, and features to your home via the Internet! Now in its fifth year, BigWest.TV covers every home and conference contest in men’s basketball as well as women’s basketball and volleyball. Also covered are select contests in men’s and women’s soccer, baseball, softball, and Big West Conference Championships. A monthly subscription of $9.95 or an annual subscription of $79.95 delivers exclusive coverage to you. If you can’t make it to the gym or the field, you can still catch all the action on BigWest.TV!