SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (AP) Max Heidegger set career highs on Saturday with eight 3-pointers and 33 points and UC Santa Barbara beat North Dakota State 85-66 in the season opener for both teams.
The Gauchos used an 11-0 run to lead 54-36 with 15:20 to play. The Bison cut the deficit to 70-61 at 5:21 and got no closer down the stretch.
Leland King II added 23 points and nine rebounds for UC Santa Barbara, which pulled away late in the first half, closing the period with a 12-3 run to lead 40-31. Jalen Canty scored 13 and Gabe Vincent had seven points and eight assists.
Heidegger, a sophomore guard, started two games last season and averaged 7.6 points with a previous career high of 21 points against Cal State Bakersfield on Dec. 27.
Paul Miller had 18 points, and Deng Geu and Cameron Hunter added 11 each for the Bison.
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