Larry Eustachy and the Colorado State Rams can finally smile.
Gian Clavell's two free throws with 5.7 seconds left gave Colorado State a dramatic 65-63 win over the University of California Santa Barbara in the championship game of the Great Alaska Shootout on Saturday at the Alaska Airlines Center.
"I can't lie, I was a little nervous," said the game's hero, a 6-4 junior from Puerto Rico who hit all six of his free throws for CSU, which went 23 of 27 from the line.
Clavell said he just tried to clear his mind and focus on swishing the foul shots. When they went in, he said relief washed over him as the crowd roared.
"It feels really good, man," he said. Alan Williams' desperation heave at the buzzer went long for UCSB.
The win gave CSU head coach Larry Eustachy his first Shootout win in seven trips to Alaska as either a head coach or assistant. After his team won, Eustachy sat on the bench and watched the celebration unfold.
"I just want to enjoy this," he said as he kicked back with a Diet Coke.
One night after Eustachy said he was disappointed in his team's effort in the semifinals, the coach was all smiles.
"I'm happy now," said Eustachy, whose team improved to 6-0 and committed just eight turnovers in the game.
Stanton Kidd scored 14 points to lead a balanced CSU attack that also got 13 points each from Clavell, J.J. Avila and John Gillon. Guard Daniel Bejarano added 10 points, 11 rebounds and four blocked shots for Colorado Sate, which won its first Shootout title.
Williams, the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, led all players with 22 points and 12 rebounds and four blocks, but the 6-8 forward said he'd trade the gold pan he was awarded for the ability to cut down the nets with his teammates.
"I'd rather celebrate a championship," said Williams, who scored most of his baskets on floating runners and baby hook shots in the lane.
Williams's 12 rebounds gave him 44 for the tournament, the third best total ever. Francoise Wise of Long Beach State grabbed a record 47 boards in the 1979 Shootout.
Williams said the game -- which featured seven ties and six lead changes -- could have gone either way.
"Just one or two plays, that's all it was," he said.
John Green had 12 points for the Gauchos, who also got eight each from Zalmico Harmon and DaJuan Smith.
The opening half was a well-played affair. The Rams shot 44 percent from the floor in the first 20 minutes while UCSB (3-4) made half its shots behind 5 of 7 shooting from Williams.
Harmon started the game firing for UCSB, knocking down a pair of 3-pointers in the first seven minutes as the Gauchos built an early 13-9 lead.
The Rams battled back behind Avila, who matched Williams baby hook shot for baby hook in leading the Rams to the biggest lead of the period for either team at 27-22 with less than five minutes left before the half. A 5-0 UCSB run tied the game, and the Gauchos went into the locker room up 33-32 as Williams snatched his seventh rebound of the game as the half came to a close.
Williams and Avila each had 11 points by halftime, with both teams' big men displaying soft hands and touch around the rim.
UCSB advanced to the championship game in dramatic fashion, getting a 3-pointer at the buzzer in regulation to tie Mercer on Friday night and winning in overtime. The Rams had less trouble getting to the final, winning by 11 points over Pacific in Friday's other semifinal.
Both teams started out cold in the second half, with Williams' drive at the 16:30 mark the first basket after the break. Avila's answer for CSU cut the lead to one point again as the teams combined for just four points through the first five minutes of the half.
Avila picked up his fourth foul with 12:15 left when he was whistled while trying to rebound a missed Williams free throw with his team trailing by three. He didn't re-enter the game until the 8:27 mark, but CSU weathered the storm by playing the Gauchos even until their big man returned.
Eustachy came unglued shortly after Avila's foul when Bejarano was called for an offensive foul after grabbing a rebound and appearing to catch Green in the chops while pivoting toward the basket.
"Bad call!" shouted the third-year CSU leader, who coached the game clad all in black.
The vocal crowd of 3,363 at the Alaska Airlines Center agreed, erupting into boos when Bejarano was whistled for his third foul while defending Green in the post.
The Green and Gillon show commenced midway through the second half. Gillon made nine straight free throws, tying the game at 47-47 before Green buried a three with nine minutes left to give UCSB a 50-47 lead. At that point, Green and Gillon had combined to score 16 consecutive points.
Free throws were the difference. While CSU made 23 of its 27 tries, UCSB was 10 of 16. Gillon finished 11 for 13 from the charity stripe, and said afterward that Eustachy is constantly preaching the importance of foul shots.
"We always shoot a lot of free throws in practice," he said.
The win was special for Gillon, who earlier this season struggled to crack the CSU lineup.
"He believed in me and told me it would happen if I work hard," he said, holding a small gold pan for being named the game's most valuable player. "It paid off for me."
Avila's return sparked an 8-0 run for CSU, which took a 57-53 lead on back-to-back 3-pointers by Kidd and Clavell with six minutes to go.
CSU had a 61-60 lead with a minute left when Kidd was fouled on a put-back attempt. He hit one of two free throws to give the Rams a two-point lead, and a traveling call on Smith gave the ball back to CSU with 25 seconds to go.
Gillon was fouled with 20 seconds to go and the 6-foot sophomore from Houston made one of two to put his team up by three points.
Green then nailed a 3-pointer to tie the game, which looked to be heading into overtime before Bryson clipped Clavell with his leg at midcourt to set up the winning freebies.
"This is the best win yet," Clavell said. "We just need to keep running it out."
Contact Matt Tunseth at 257-4335 or mtunseth@alaskadispatch.com
ALL TOURNAMENT TEAM: DaVonte Lacey, Washington State; Dorrian Williams, Missouri State, Travis Thompson, UAA, Ike Nwamu, Mercer, Daniel Bejaranao, CSU, T.J. Wallace, Pacific; Michael Bryson, UCSB; J.J. Avila, CSU; Zalmico Harmon, UCSB; John Gillon, CSU. Most outstanding player: Alan Williams, UCSB
COLORADO STATE 65, UC SANTA BARBARA 63
COLORADO STATE (65) -- Kidd 6-11 1-2 14, Daniels 0-3 0-0 0, Avila 6-15 0-0 13, Bejarano 3-10 3-4 10, De Ciman 0-3 2-2 2, Clavell 3-8 6-6 13, Gillon 1-3 11-13 13, Hurst 0-1 0-0 0, Holt 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 19-54 23-27 65.
UC SANTA BARBARA (63) -- Brewe 1-3 0-0 3, Williams 9-17 4-7 22, Harmon 3-3 0-0 8, Smith 3-9 2-3 8, Bryson 2-8 2-3 6, Childress 2-4 0-0 4, Taylor 0-0 0-0 0, Green 4-9 2-3 12, Beeler 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-53 10-16 63.
Colorado State 32 33 -- 65
UC Santa Barbara 33 30 -- 63
3-point goals -- CSU 4-14 (Kidd 1-2, Avila 1-2, Bejarano 1-4, De Ciman 0-1, Clavell 1-4, Gillon 0-1), UCSB 10-16 (Brewe 1-1, Williams 0-1, Harmon 2-2, Bryson 0-4, Childress 0-1, Green 2-2). Total fouls -- CSU 17, UCSB 23. Fouled out -- Harmon, Bryson. Assists -- CSU 10 (Gillon 5), UCSB 15 (3 with 3). Turnovers -- CSU 8 (Avila 4), UCSB 11 (Smith 4). Blocks -- CSU 6 (Bejarano 4), UCSB 5 (Williams 4). Steals -- CSU 3, UCSB 1. A -- 3,363. Officials -- Gattis, Corson, Holland.