The Thunderdome - Santa Barbara, Calif.

All-Time Record vs. the Broncos: 6-7

Last Meeting: November 14, 2017: at Santa Clara 68, UCSB 63

 

 

G1: No. 11 UCLA 102, UCSB 45: The Gauchos were faced with a tough task in attempting to topple Pac-12 giants UCLA in their season opener at Pauley Pavilion. Although UCSB never managed to attain a lead in the matchup, Danae Miller dropped 16 points and senior guard Mira Shulman led the team with four assists and two steals. Freshman guards Anya Choice and Alyssa Marin and redshirt senior guard Doris Jones made their debuts for the Gauchos in the defeat.

 

G2: California Baptist 85, UCSB 75: It was yet another exciting game between the Gauchos and Lancers in what was just their third-ever meeting. UCSB was down double-digits in the first half but came back to go up by one at the half, before CBU built their advantage back up once again. Despite a furious fourth-quarter rally led by Danae Miller and redshirt junior guard Bri Anugwom, the Lancers had enough left in the tank to see out the win and continue their undefeated streak against UCSB.

 

Like the Gauchos, Santa Clara hasn't had many chances to compete so far this season, playing just three games, all on the road. Santa Clara defeated CSU Bakersfield 59-49 in its season opener before falling to Cal Poly 57-56 and 70-59 at the Mott Athletics Center in San Luis Obispo. Ashlyn Herlihy leads the team in scoring with 11.7 points per game and in rebounds with 5.7 per contest. Lindsey VanAllen is next up with 10.7 points and 4.3 rebounds per game.

 

A challenging non-conference slate did well in preparing the Gauchos for Big West play, as they turned a 4-6 start into a 9-7 finish thanks to five wins in the final six games, including a sweep of CSUN and a Danae Miller buzzer-beater in the regular season finale at Hawai'i. Freshman Ila Lane, senior Coco Miller, and junior Danae Miller were the stars of the show in a season that would abruptly end without the Gauchos having played a game as the second seed in the Big West Tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

If the Big West Coaches Poll released on Nov. 10 is anything to go by, UCSB will be a contender for the league crown in the 2020-21 season. The blue and gold was picked to finish third in the conference, finishing nine points back of second-placed UC Irvine and 22 behind four-time defending champions UC Davis. The Gauchos finished fourth in the media poll, behind Davis, Irvine, and Hawai'i. 

 

In terms of individual recognition, senior point guard Danae Miller added a selection to the Preseason Big West Women's Basketball All-Conference First Team to her ever-growing list of accolades, after earning selection to the All-Big West Honorable Mention list at the conclusion of the previous season and to the Second Team the year before that.

 

We may be a week away from December 25, but Christmas is coming early to the Thunderdome as UCSB Athletics, in conjunction with Fall Productions, will produce its first-ever ESPN3 broadcast on Saturday evening. In addition, each of the Gauchos' eight Big West Conference home games will be streamed on ESPN3, beginning with UCSB's back-to-back conference-opening series against UC Irvine on Dec. 27 and 28. UCSB's away matchups at UC San Diego and CSU Bakersfield will also be aired on ESPN3. The TV schedule is subject to change and updates will be communicated on UCSBGauchos.com.

 

Freshman guards Alyssa Marin and Anya Choice are the newest Gauchos on the block. Marin holds the record for most three-pointers made in a single season at Camarillo High and was named Camarillo Girls Basketball Player of the Year, Ventura County Player of the Year, and Ventura County Star Player of the Year following the 2018-19 season. Hailing from Cardinal Newman HS in Santa Rosa, Calif., Choice was the 2019 North Bay League MVP and San Francisco Chronicle North Bay Player of the Year in 2018-19, and was the Chronicle's Girls Player of the Year in 2019-20.

 

This Wednesday, the NCAA Division I Council granted a blanket waiver allowing all tranfer student-athletes to compete immediately. The decision will allow San Jose State transfer Megan Anderson and Colorado State transfer Taylor Mole to suit up for the Gauchos this season, pending the conclusion of fall quarter. Anderson, a Fresno native, started in every game over the past two seasons for the Spartans, averaging 8.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.0 assists, and 0.8 steals in a team-leading 31.7 minutes per game in her most recent campaign. Mole averaged 1.6 points and 1.1 rebounds per game in her two seasons with the Rams. Mole set career-highs in points (12), shooting (4-4 3PT, 4-8 FG), blocks (2), and minutes (28) over the course of the 2019-20 season.