Bob Williams professes a “What, me worry?” attitude about his uncertain future as UCSB’s head basketball coach, but he was visibly anxious during the final minute of what may have been his last game at the Thunderdome. He had removed his jacket and was pacing in front of the bench, shuttling players in and out of the lineup, agonizing over a foul here and a turnover there, even though the Gauchos held an 11-point lead over UC Riverside last Thursday night.
“I’d sweat if it was a 30-point lead,” Williams said. “Our guards are loose with the ball … and we’re not making free throws.”
The lead was reduced to nine, then to seven, then to five … until, finally, a pass-and-dunk between freshmen Max Heidegger and Christian Terrell put a cap on UCSB’s 68-61 victory. It was a sweet ending for guard Eric Childress, the only senior on the team, who hit five three-pointers in the first half and scored a career-high 21 points.