SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The UC Santa Barbara Men's Basketball team (12-7) is ready for another week of Big West play. This week, they will start the weekend in The Thunderdome as they take on the UC Davis Aggies before traveling to Bakersfield to take on the Roadrunners.
LAST TIME OUT
The Gauchos had one game last week as they made the trip to Honolulu to take on the Rainbow Warriors of Hawai'i. UC Santa Barbara could not have asked for a better start as they went on a 26-0 run during the first half. That run ultimately gave the Gauchos all the momentum they needed to come home with a win as they took down the Rainbow Warriors 78-61.
Ajay Mitchell led the Gauchos in this game as he put up 25 points while
Yohan Traore was close behind with 20 points.
ANTAGONIZING THE AGGIES
UC Davis is coming into this game after a loss at home to UC San Diego. Prior to that, the Aggies went on a four-win run, taking down CSUN, Cal State Bakersfield, Cal State Fullerton and UC Irvine.
The Aggies are led by Elijah Pepper, who was also named to the Lou Henson Mid-Season Watch List. He currently leads The Big West and is 14th in the NCAA when it comes to points per game, averaging 21.0. He is also No. 1 in the conference and 13th in the country in three pointers, averaging 3.3 a game. Not only that, but he is second on the team in rebounds with 99, tied for the most steals with 33 and has the best free throw percentage, shooting at 90.1 percent from the charity stripe.
Ty Johnson has been a huge asset for the Aggies as well. He is second on the team in points as he currently has 311 on the season. This comes out to about 16.4 per game. He also leads the team in assists with 68 while he is tied for the most steals with 33.
SCOUTING THE ROADRUNNERS
Cal State Bakersfield is coming into this game with a loss after taking on Cal State Fullerton. Before that game, the Roadrunners were on a three-game win streak, taking down UC Riverside, Cal Poly and CSUN.
When looking at the standings, Cal State Bakersfield is one of the best teams in the country when it comes to offensive rebounds. They are currently 33rd in the NCAA in this category as they are averaging 13 a game.
Kaleb Higgins is a huge part of the Roadrunners' success. He is currently seventh in The Big West when it comes to points as he is averaging 16.2 a game. Not only that, but Higgins leads the team in assists with 70 and steals with 23.
WHEREABOUTS
The Gauchos will first face the Aggies on Thursday, Feb. 1 in The Thunderdome. This will be a nationally-televised game on ESPNU that will begin at 8 p.m. Then, UC Santa Barbara will have a quick turnaround as they make the trip to Bakersfield for Saturday, Feb. 3. Tip-off will be at 7 p.m. with a live stream available through ESPN+.
