SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (Jan. 13, 2023) – The UC Santa Barbara Men's Basketball team (13-2, 4-0 Big West) is back in The Thunderdome for the first time in 2023 as the Gauchos take on the UC Riverside Highlanders. The Gauchos have won all 24 contests between these two teams since they started playing one another.
LAST TIME OUT
Despite the weather, the Gauchos were able to make the trip to Cal State Bakersfield for a midweek Big West contest. UC Santa Barbara struck first, and even with the battle from the Roadrunners, the Gauchos were the ones to come out with the win. UC Santa Barbara defeated Cal State Bakersfield 60-48. Miles Norris had the best game for the Gauchos, registering 14 points and five rebounds.
SCOUTING THE HIGHLANDERS
UC Riverside is coming into this game with two conference wins over UC San Diego and CSUN. The only Big West game the Highlanders lost in this early part of the season was to Cal State Fullerton.
The Highlanders make a lot of great plays from beyond the arc. They are the best team in The Big West when it comes to three-pointers attempted per game three pointers per game. They are also third in assists to turnover ratio, rebound margin, defensive rebounds per game and offensive rebounds per game.
The Highlanders' Zyon Pullin is one of the best players in The Big West. He leads the conference in minutes per game at 34:42 minutes and points per game, averaging 19.6, which is also good enough to be 30th in the NCAA. He also has the highest field goal percentage with a 52.6 clip. The senior guard leads the Highlanders in scoring with 274 points in just 14 games played while also leading the team in assists with 57.
There are two players who started in all 17 games for the Highlanders, and they are Flynn Cameron and Wil Tattersall. Cameron is second on the team in points, racking up 178 points.
Freshman Lachlan Olbrich has made a huge impact since coming to UC Riverside. He already had 171 points while leading the team in rebounds with 100, securing a double-double during the season. He also leads the team in blocks with six.
The Highlanders are coached by Mike Magpayo, who is in his third season with the team. The UC Santa Barbara alumnus started as an associate head coach with the program before his promotion in 2020. Prior to that, he was on the coaching staff at the University of San Francisco. Since stepping into this head coaching role, Magpayo has an overall record of 41-26.
WHEREABOUTS
The Gauchos will hit the court in Santa Barbara at 7 p.m. For fans who can't make it, follow along on ESPN+ or through live stats available at ucsbgauchos.com.
