LONG BEACH, Calif. (Interstat) — Aidan Mahaney scored 21 points as UC Santa Barbara withstood a second-half surge to edge Long Beach State 74-71 in a Big West Conference men’s basketball game Saturday at Walter Pyramid.

The Gauchos built a 15-point halftime lead behind 44 first-half points but needed a final defensive stop after the 49ers, led by Petar Majstorovic’s 21 points, charged back to tie the game late. Mahaney’s driving layup with 10 seconds remaining provided the winning margin. UC Santa Barbara improved to 13-7 overall, while Long Beach State fell to 8-13.