SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (Dec. 30, 2022) – The UC Santa Barbara Men's Basketball team (10-2, 1-0 Big West) are back in The Thunderdome as the Gauchos have their first home conference game of the season against the Tritons of UC San Diego. The last time these two teams faced one another was in Santa Barbara where the Gauchos took home the win.
LAST TIME OUT
The Gauchos played in their first conference game of the season in hopes of extending their win streak as they took on the reigning Big West tournament champions in Cal State Fullerton. The contest came down to the last minute of play. UC Santa Barbara ended up pulling out the 66-58 win over the Titans, giving them their first win of Big West play while extending their win streak to six.
Ajay Mitchell finished the game with 24 points, his third straight game with more than 20 points. He also led the team in assists with three. Josh Pierre-Louis also had a night as he came up with 17 points, scoring 11 of them in the second half. He also had the most steals on the team with three.
SCOUTING THE TRITONS
UC San Diego is coming off a huge overtime win to start Big West play as they took down regular season champs Long Beach State. The Tritons had a tough non-conference schedule prior to The Big West opener to prepare them for conference play, playing teams like San Diego State, Seattle, San Diego, Nevada and Cal.
The Tritons are in the process of reclassification, moving from Division II up to Division I. Last season, games the team played did not count for the conference standings. However, this year, their games do count for the standings. Until 2024-25 when reclassification is over, the Tritons are unable to compete for a Big West or NCAA title.
Bryce Pope is the leading scorer for the Tritons and one of two players to start every game for UC San Diego this season. The junior guard has surpassed so many other guards in the conference, registering 250 points so far this season, averaging 19.23 points per game. He is the only Triton to average double-digit points. Along with that, he is tied for the most steals on the team with 18.
Sophomore Francis Nwaokorie is the team's leading defensive player. The 6-foot-7 forward is tied for the most rebounds on the team with 84 as he averages 7.0 per game. He also has 110 points on the season.
Also helping on defense is Emmanuel Tshimanga. The junior center also has 84 rebounds, but since he played in less games, is averaging 7.64 per game.
Freshman Roddie Anderson III has been making a huge impact for the Tritons, starting in 12 of 13 games. He is great at distributing the ball, leading the team in assists with 42 while earning 118 points throughout the season. He is also tied for the most steals on the team with 18.
Head Coach Eric Olen has been at the helm of the program for the last 10 seasons as he is working with the program during their reclassification. He currently has an overall record of 185-89 with seven seasons in Division II and three seasons in Division I.
WHEREABOUTS
The Gauchos will take on the Tritons in The Thunderdome with a 4 p.m. tipoff. For fans who can't make it in person, a live stream will be available through ESPN+ along with live stats at ucsbgauchos.com.
