James Nunnally scored 17 points and Orlando Johnson 16 as UC Santa Barbara defeated Denver 65-49 Friday night in the BTI Invitational.
Jaime Serna added 12 for the Gauchos in the season opener for both teams. Justin Coughlin led the Pioneers with 12 points, including three 3-pointers.
Johnson, the Big West player of the year last season, scored 11 points in the first half and finished 6-for-14 with a team-high seven rebounds. Nunnally was just 4-for-11 from the field but was perfect on seven attempts from the line.
Denver, which shot 55 percent in the first half, made just 19 percent in the second and went nearly seven minutes without a basket after a 3-pointer by Coughlin tied the game 37-37 with 14:58 to play.
Chase Hallam also scored 11 for the Pioneers, and Trevor Noonan had 10.
