LONG BEACH, Calif. – Mike Caffey sank two free throws with 7.4 seconds remaining to give Long Beach State a 57-55 victory against UC Santa Barbara on Wednesday night.
After UC Santa Barbara tied the game on Michael Bryson's 3-pointer, Caffey was the victim of a light touch foul by Kyle Boswell at midcourt. With the 49ers (12-8, 8-1 Big West) in the double bonus, it was worth two shots.
The Gauchos (7-13, 3-6) brought the ball upcourt, but Boswell had to reach for a pass and was unable to get off a clean 3-point try as the buzzer sounded.
James Ennis and Tony Freeland led Long Beach with 16 points each. Caffey added 10.
Boswell had 13 points and made three 3-pointers, and Taran Brown added 12 for UC Santa Barbara, which overcame a 55-50 deficit with 2:30 remaining. The Gauchos played a third straight game without leading scorer Alan Williams, who is out with a hamstring strain.
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