FULLERTON, Calif. – The UC Santa Barbara men's basketball team gets back on the court on New Year's Day as they travel to Cal State Fullerton before heading to CSUN on Saturday, Jan. 3.
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Gauchos ended a two-game skid by beating Portland 79-61 on Dec. 22. Santa Barbara was aided by 14 three-pointers and forcing 14 turnovers. In the game, CJ Shaw recorded his first collegiate double-double with a 10-point, 11-rebound performance. Hosana Kitenge and Evans Kipruto also combined to go 11-13 from the field, combining for 26 points down low.
 
SCOUTING THE TITANS
Cal State Fullerton is 5-9 on the season after its 110-63 loss to SMU and is 0-2 in Big West play, entering the contest. The Titans are coached by Dedrique Taylor, who has spent his entire 13-year head coaching career at Cal State Fullerton. He holds a record of 166-214.
 
The Titans are 3-2 at home this season while averaging 87.7 points per game, which leads The Big West in scoring. Cal State Fullerton pulls down 38.3 rebounds per contest, which also ranks top five in the conference. Additionally, the Titans make 8.7 threes per game and shoot 32.5 percent from beyond the arc, which ranks 318^th in the nation.
 
Senior guard Joshua Ward leads the team in scoring and rebounds, averaging 15.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per contest. He is also tied for the team lead in threes, making 23, which is tied with Christian Williams. Lastly, Ward also leads the team in assists. Landon Seaman, Bryce Cofield and Jefferson De La Cruz Monegro all average in double-figures through 14 games this season.
 
SCOUTING THE MATADORS
Before CSUN clashes with the Gauchos, the Matadors will head to Davis to take on the Aggies on Thursday afternoon. CSUN holds an 8-6 overall record after falling to Stanford 88-80 and sit 1-1 in Big West play. Andy Newman enters his third season at CSUN, holding a 47-31 record and his 13^th overall with a 252-129 record.
 
The Matadors are a perfect 6-0 at home this season, averaging 80.6 points per game, which ranks fourth in the conference. Like the Titans, they do not shoot the three very well, making 7.6 per game and shooting 32.6 percent coming into the week. CSUN leads the league in rebounding, grabbing 41.4 per game and 13.7 offensive boards per contest.
 
Larry Hughes II leads the Matadors and ranks third in The Big West, averaging 18.9 points per game. He also leads the team in steals with 27, averaging nearly two a game. The Matadors have two other players averaging in double-figures in Joshua O'Garro (13.9) and Josiah Davis (13.1). O'Garro leads the team and conference in rebounding, averaging 9.4 per game.
 
FOLLOW ALONG
UC Santa Barbara and Cal State Fullerton will tip off at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 1, while on Saturday, Jan. 3 the Gauchos and Matadors will tip off at 1 p.m. The game on New Years Day will be streamed on ESPN+, while the game on Jan. 3 will be broadcast on Spectrum SportsNet. Both games will have live stats available.