GREEN BAY, Wis. – The UC Santa Barbara Men's Basketball team wraps up its 2025 slate with an away game at Green Bay on Wednesday, Dec. 17, before returning to The Thunderdome on Monday, Dec. 22 to take on Portland at 2 p.m.
 
PROMOTIONS
UC Santa Barbara basketball in partnership with One805 is excited to celebrate first responders and the community this holiday season during upcoming basketball games on Monday, Dec. 22.

The Gauchos invite all first responders to pack the Thunderdome and cheer on UC Santa Barbara in a pivotal matchup against WCC opponent Portland on Monday, Dec. 22, at 2 p.m. In the spirit of the holiday season, the Gauchos will honor, recognize and thank our local heroes for their relentless work on the front lines. All first responders will receive free admission for an afternoon filled with fun and gratitude. Visit the ticket link here, and enter promo code GGMBB1222 to get your tickets.
 
SCOUTING THE PHOENIX
Green Bay is coming off an 85-75 win over IU Indianapolis last Thursday. Their fifth win of the season, surpassing their win total from a season ago. The Phoenix have played one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the country. According to kenpom.com, Green Bay's non-conference strength of schedule ranks 37^th nationally. In the non-conference, the Phoenix have played two marquee teams, including No. 19 Kansas and 2025 NCAA Tournament participant Yale.
 
Under second-year head coach Doug Gottlieb, the Phoenix are averaging six more points a game and shooting two percent better from the field so far this season. The Phoenix is led by a quartet of double-digit scorers, three of whom start. C.J. O'Hara leads the pack at 13.8 per game, followed by Marcus Hall at 13.6. The four make up for nearly 70 percent of the scoring for Green Bay. The Phoenix do like to draw contact and get to the line as they rank 66^th nationally in free throw attempts per game and 73^rd in made free throws per game.
 
Defensively, Green Bay is allowing fewer points per game than a year ago and allowing lower shooting percentages both from the field and beyond the arc. Preston Ruedinger and C.J. O'Hara lead the team in steals, while Ramel Bethea leads the team in blocks with 11.

SCOUTING THE PILOTS
Portland currently carries a 7-4 overall record and takes on Oregon this week before venturing down to Santa Barbara. The Pilots are on a two-game winning streak and winners in three of their last four. Additionally, Portland is 3-0 against Big West opponents this year, beating UC Davis, Cal State Fullerton and Long Beach State.
 
Offensively, the Pilots are averaging nearly 85 points per game, which ranks 65^th nationally. The Pilots also rank highly in assists per game (5^th), field goal percentage (19^th) and effective field goal percentage (50^th). The Pilots top scorer comes off the bench, Timo George, who is averaging 13.3 points per game. Along with George, four other players are averaging over 11.0 points per game. The five players make up 75 percent of Portland's scoring.
 
Defensively, the Pilots are allowing over 80 points per game. Their defense ranks bottom 50 in the NCAA in points per game. They also do not guard beyond the arc well, allowing teams to shoot over 33 percent and make over six threes per contest.
 
FOLLOW ALONG
Both contests will be streamed on ESPN+ with live stats available. The Gauchos and Phoenix will tip off at 4 p.m. Pacific Time / 6 p.m. Central Time on Wednesday. When Santa Barbara and Portland clash in The Thunderdome next Monday, Dec. 22 the game will tip off at 2 p.m.