It was like déja vu.
Everything was basically the same. It was a Saturday game against a Big West Conference opponent. There was overtime. And sophomore guard Jamaal Franklin hit key free throws in the closing seconds to seal the victory.
The only difference: the venue.
Franklin hit three free throws in the final 15 seconds of overtime as SDSU (7-1) defeated UC Santa Barbara on the road, 76-75, in a game that looked much like the Aztecs’ overtime win against Long Beach State earlier this season.
“We just found a way to win,” junior guard James Rahon said. “That’s all I can say. We’re all winners, and we just find a way – even when things aren’t going well.”
With the win, the Aztecs have won 48 straight against unranked opponents, 18 straight against California universities and nine straight against teams from the Big West Conference, which may turn out to be SDSU’s new home after the conference realignments are all said and done.
Sophomore guard Xavier Thames recorded his first career double-double by scoring 20 points and pulling down 10 rebounds. Chase Tapley finished the game with 16 points, while Franklin contributed 12 points and six rebounds off the bench.
The defining moment of the game came in overtime. UCSB (4-1) was down by three with just seconds left as Orlando Johnson dove for a loose ball. A Gaucho player proceeded to call a timeout, despite not having any remaining. This is much like when Chris Webber called a timeout for Coach Steve Fisher’s Michigan Wolverines team in the 1993 NCAA championship game. And just like in 1993, the result was a technical foul.
Johnson scored a game-high 26 points for the Gauchos, while James Nunnally added 16.
“It’s the will to win, you know what I mean?” senior forward Tim Shelton said. “The guys just banded together and we got a win. We’re competitive and we believe we’re going to win. Put that together and add some heart, and this is what can happen.”
The Aztecs will try to continue their winning ways as Creighton visits for a game at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday at Viejas Arena.
