SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (Dec. 12, 2022) – It was a quick turnaround from Saturday night's overtime game to tonight's non-conference contest, but the UC Santa Barbara Men's Basketball team (7-2) hit the hardwood again as they welcomed the San Diego Christian Hawks to The Thunderdome. These two teams played each other three different times, with the Gauchos taking the win from this NAIA program in each meeting.

Tonight was no different for the Gauchos as they put their record to 4-0 against the Hawks as they secured an 81-68 win to put them at 7-2 on the season.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Gauchos had control of the game from the moment they stepped on the court. The first nine points all belonged to UC Santa Barbara as they set the tone for the rest of the game. By the time they hit the end of the first half, UC Santa Barbara was up 48-22 over the Hawks.

Miles Norris and Calvin Wishart were the main forces on offense, securing 10 points apiece. Along with that, Wishart added on four steals and three assists. As a team, the Gauchos registered a 72 percent clip, going 21 of 29 from the field.

Once the second half started, the Gauchos kept the pressure on their opponent. Despite the number of points put on the board, UC Santa Barbara kept the pressure on their opponents, keeping them from making a comeback in this contest. The Gauchos ultimately won the game 81-68.

LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS

• Norris ended tonight's game on top for the Gauchos, securing 15 points in just 14 minutes on the court against the Hawks. He also shot an impressive 70 percent from the field.
• Following up behind him was Cole Anderson. The sophomore had a strong performance in the second half to give him 11 points on the night. With that, he shot 50 percent from the field while going three-for-five from beyond the arc.
• Wishart was a tremendous asset in the 14 minutes he played. He secured 10 points in this contest while adding a team-high four steals to go with three assists.
• Koat Keat Tong came into his own, crashing the boards to earn a team-high five rebounds. He also managed to add on a block and an assist.
• In the 11 minutes Ajay Mitchell played this evening, he made an impact on offense. He distributed the ball well to confuse the Hawks' defense, giving him a team-high five assists.

UP NEXT
The Gauchos will make the trip up the coast as they head to Portland, Oregon to take on Portland State University. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 17. For those who cannot make it to Viking Pavilion, they can watch at home on ESPN+ or follow along with the live stats. Links for the live stream and stats can be found at ucsbgauchos.com.