Santa Barbara gets first-ever win over Cal 72-65

Dec 7, 2013, 01:33 am

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- Alan Williams scored 24 points Friday night as UC Santa Barbara defeated Cal for the first time 72-65.

Williams, a 6-7 junior forward, came into the game averaging 27.5 points per game. He pulled down 12 rebounds for his second double-double in five games.

Freshman guard Jordan Mathews scored 22 points for the Golden Bears, topping his previous career high by 10.

Cal (6-3) had won all previous 10 meetings against the Gauchos. UCSB (4-3) had not beaten a Pac-12 team since 2003-04 season.

Williams had missed two UCSB games, both defeats, because of back spasms. He scored 20 points after halftime.

Both coaches were impressed by Williams.

"Al is maybe the best post player on the West Coast," UCSB's Bob Williams said.

"He played like a man on a mission in the second half," Cal coach Mike Montgomery said. "Obviously this was huge for (UCSB) to beat a Pac-12 school at home. We didn't step up, and they did."

Taran Brown scored 14 points for the Gauchos, and Kyle Boswell made four clinching free throws in the final minute for 13 points.

Brown, a 6-8 sophomore, blocked four shots, and Zalmico Harmon had 10 assists for the Gauchos.

Cal got 13 points and eight assists from senior guard Justin Cobbs, and 12 points from Richard Kravish.

UCSB made 59 percent of its shots in the second half and 51 percent for the game. Cal shot just 36 percent from the floor.

Mathews scored 10 points in the first half, as the Bears overcame an early 18-10 deficit. They took a 28-27 lead at halftime.

Williams scored 15 of UCSB's first 19 points in the second half, leading his team to a 48-44 lead. After Cal trimmed it to 51-49, the Gauchos streaked ahead 60-49, as Brown scored seven points.

Kravish scored with 1:42 to play to draw Cal within four, 66-62. The Gauchos made 6 of 6 free throws after that.