SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The UC Santa Barbara Men's Basketball team (3-2) will return to The Thunderdome for a Wednesday night match-up against the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks. These two teams played each other last season in Flagstaff where the Gauchos were not able to come home with a win. The all-time series is now tied at 2-2 between these two teams.
LAST TIME OUT
The Gauchos hit the road as they took on the Bulldogs of Fresno State. Although the home team had the lead at the half, UC Santa Barbara rallied back to take the lead and hold it until the very end, defeating Fresno State 69-65. This extended the Gauchos' win streak to three after starting the season with back-to-back losses.
LASTING AGAINST THE LUMBERJACKS
Northern Arizona played another Big West opponent in their most recent game as they made their way to Honolulu to take on the University of Hawai'i. The Lumberjacks were not able to get a win, losing to the Rainbow Warriors 61-70.
In the national rankings, the Lumberjacks rank highly in a defensive category. They are currently 15th in the country when it comes to defending three-point field goals as they hold their opponents to a 24.8 field goal percentage from beyond the arc.
Trent McLaughlin is the biggest offensive weapon for the Lumberjacks. The junior guard leads the team in points, averaging 13.0 a game while averaging 4.2 rebounds per game. This comes out to 78 total points. His best offensive game of the season came against the Virginia Military Institute, when he put up 21 points.
Jayden Jackson appears to be the other primary point-scorer for the Lumberjacks. He is averaging 10.2 points per game, which comes out to 62 points on the season.
Liam Loyd is at the top of the Big Sky currently when it comes to assists. He is averaging 5 assists per game, which comes out to 30 on the season. He is also tied for the most rebounds on the team with 35.
The Lumberjacks have yet to play a game in their home arena. They have either been on the road or meeting their opponents at a neutral site.
WHEREABOUTS
This game will take place in The Thunderdome on Wednesday, Nov. 28 with tip-off at 7 p.m. For those who can't make it to Santa Barbara, they can watch at home through ESPN+.
