Orlando Johnson led all scorers with 32 points, leading the No. 5 UC Santa Barbara Gauchos to a 79-67 victory over the No. 4 Pacific Tigers in the opening round of the 2011 Big West Conference Basketball Tournament at Honda Center in Anaheim. The game was the second of the day in the tournament, with top seed Long Beach St. winning their opening game. UCSB won the Big West Tournament last season.
The Gauchos shot 57.1% from the field, including a blistering 61.1% (11 for 18) from three-point range. Johnson hit four shots from beyond the arc, while junior forward James Nunnally added three triples of his own, scoring 19 points. UCSB (16-13, 8-8) lost their two regular season meetings with Pacific this season, losing 57-54 on the road on January 8 and dropping a game at home 74-68 on February 3.
Sophomore guard Allen Huddleston scored 21 points to lead Pacific (16-15, 8-8), including making 5-for-8 from three-point range. However, his teammates made just one of 12 shots from beyond the arc, and shot just 37.7% for the game from the field.
The next game tonight features No. 2 Cal Poly battling No. 7 UC Riverside. The bracket gets reseeded after today's quarterfinals. For more Big West Conference Tournament news and updates, be sure to stay tuned to this StoryStream.