SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (Interstat) — Aidan Mahaney scored 21 points as UC Santa Barbara held off a second-half surge to defeat UC Irvine 84-79 in a Big West Conference men’s basketball game Saturday at Thunderdome.

The Gauchos led 34-28 at halftime before both offenses ignited after the break. UC Irvine’s Andre Henry scored 18 points and Kyle Evans added 17, helping the Anteaters close the gap late. The Gauchos sealed the win at the free-throw line, making 19 of 25 attempts overall.

Mahaney’s backcourt mate CJ Shaw contributed 15 points for UC Santa Barbara. Jurian Dixon scored 15 for the Anteaters. Both teams are now 16-8 overall. An announced crowd of 3,908 attended the game.