SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (Feb. 19, 2023) – It's coming down to the final five games of the regular season as the UC Santa Barbara Men's Basketball team will be back in The Thunderdome as they play the second leg of the series against the Cal State Fullerton Titans. The last time these two teams faced each other was in Fullerton for the first game of the Big West schedule when the Gauchos took down the Titans 66-58.
LAST TIME OUT
The Gauchos were on the road as they took on the UC Riverside Highlanders for the last time during the regular season. The first half showed various ups and downs for the Gauchos as they battled with the Highlanders, recording a score of 27-24 at the half. Once UC Santa Barbara returned to the floor, they picked up the pace and were neck and neck with the Highlanders for the remainder of the game. After 12 lead changes, it came down to the final two minutes when the Highlanders pulled away from the Gauchos, resulting in the 74-63 loss.
SCOUTING THE TITANS
Cal State Fullerton has been hot as of late as they are on a four-game winning streak. They grabbed a one-point win over Hawai'i on the road while also defeating UC San Diego on their home court. Along with that, the Titans secured two other key wins in Fullerton against Cal Poly and UC Riverside.
The team ranks highly in multiple statistical categories. The Titans are one of the best teams at keeping their opponents at bay as they are 47th in the NCAA in scoring defense. They also rank No. 1 in The Big West when it comes to turnover margin.
Individually, Latrell Wrightsell Jr. is the biggest asset for the Titans. He is No. 1 in The Big West and 41st in the NCAA when it comes to three-point field goal percentage as shoots at a 40.5 percent clip from beyond the arc. He is also first in the conference in three pointers per game, averaging 2.56 a game. The junior guard missed four games for the Titans but has made up for it tremendously as he leads the team in scoring with 412 on the season, averaging out to 16.48 a game. He also leads the team in assists with 62 and steals with 39.
Two other Titans average double-digit points and they are Jalen Harris and Max Jones. These two average 12.86 and 11.67 points a game, respectively. Harris is also second on the team in assists, just one behind Wrightsell, while Jones is an asset in multiple statistical categories.
The Titans are coached by Dedrique Taylor, who is in his 10th season with the program. Over his time as a head coach, he has amassed a 137-160 record. Taylor is no stranger to The Big West as he played for UC Davis, helping them to two NCAA Regional tournaments. Prior to the Titans, Taylor was an associate head coach at Arizona State.
PROMO NIGHT
The Gauchos are excited to welcome Montecito School District to The Thunderdome for the evening. All students receive three free tickets to this game. Along with that, all faculty and staff of UC Santa Barbara are invited to come to the game as the department's appreciation for all of their hard work and dedication to these student-athletes.
WHEREABOUTS
Tipoff for this Big West game will be at 7 p.m. in The Thunderdome with a live stream on Spectrum Sports. For fans outside of southern California, the game can be viewed on ESPN+.
