GAME NOTES: In the championship game of the Great Alaska Shootout, the Colorado State Rams tangle with the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos at the Alaska Airlines Center.

There has yet to be an opponent Colorado State has not been able to handle this season, with the Rams sporting a 5-0 record as it enters this contest. They kept the good times rolling on Friday, earning a 75-64 victory over Pacific. They also defeated Mercer (75-62) during their road to this title tilt. Up next, they will host Texas-El Paso.

UCSB punched its ticket to Saturday's game with wins over Washington State (71-43) and Mercer (65-60 OT) in the previous two rounds. The Gauchos have won three straight games overall. They are now above .500 overall for the first time this season thanks to the recent winning streak. They will host Seattle in their next venture.

These two teams have never met previously.

Colorado State may have allowed Pacific to knock down 13 shots from beyond the arc, but it held the Tigers to just 39.6 percent shooting overall to secure the semifinal victory. The Rams connected on 52.2 percent of their shots from the floor, including 8-of-18 from 3-point distance. They also got plenty of chances at the free-throw line, although they only made 19-of-33 attempts. On top of that, they were also the beneficiaries of an 18-11 scoring advantage off turnovers.

J.J. Avila netted 16 points, but made only 4-of-14 shots at the charity stripe, in leading five players in double figures in Friday's win. Daniel Bejarano netted 14 points, also failing to find much success in terms of shooting efficiency (6-of-13). Gian Clavell chimed in with 13 points and four steals off the bench, and Stanton Kidd also had 13 points. Joe De Ciman tallied 11 points and four assists in support as well. The Rams often have a slew of scorers to rely upon, with Avila (14.8 ppg), Bejarano (14.6 ppg), Kidd (13.6 ppg) and De Ciman (10 ppg) all averaging in double figures.

Michael Bryson saved UCSB from almost certain defeat on Friday as he drilled a 3-pointer as time expired in regulation to tie the game at 53-53 and force overtime. The Gauchos were in control for the entirety of the extra session, making 7-of-10 free throws to secure the win. They connected on only 37.5 percent of their field goal tries in the game overall, but that was enough to fend off Mercer, which made only 33.9 percent.

Alan Williams was a force to be reckoned with as he scored 22 points to go with a career-high 20 rebounds and six blocks. Bryson chipped in 18 points, while sinking 3-of-6 3-point attempts, including the all-important one at the end of regulation. DaJuan Smith netted 11 points in the winning effort as well, while Zalmico Harmon managed nine points on only 1-of-5 shooting.

There is no questioning Williams' talent, but he may be in for a rough outing against the Rams, who are skilled up front. Expect Colorado State to claim the crown in this annual event.