SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The UC Santa Barbara Men's Basketball team (19-11, 11-8 Big West) wraps up the regular season Saturday night as they welcome UC Irvine to the Thunderdome. Prior to the game, the Gauchos will honor 11 seniors prior to the contest.
HONORING THE SENIORS
The Gauchos will honor
Max Sheldon,
Henry Hartwell,
Bryce Howard,
David Pickles,
Max Murrell,
Evans Kipruto,
Deuce Turner,
Ariel Bland,
Kenny Pohto,
Stephan Swenson and
Cole Anderson. The ceremony will begin with 12 minute remaining on the pre-game clock, roughly 6:45 p.m.
LOOKING AHEAD
The Gauchos have had a week to prepare for the Anteaters following their loss last Saturday to CSUN. With a win, the Gauchos would be the fifth team in The Big West to reach 20 wins, joining UC San Diego, UC Irvine, CSUN and UC Riverside. Additionally, after UC Irvine's win over UC Davis on Thursday night, the Gauchos have clinched the No. 5 seed in The Big West Championships. The Blue and Gold will play the No. 8 seed on Wednesday, March 12 with a tip off time of 6 p.m.
SCOUTING THE ANTEATERS
UC Irvine comes into Saturday after an 88-59 win over UC Davis on Thursday night. The Anteaters are currently 26-5 overall and 16-3 in The Big West. The last time the two teams met the Anteaters hit a buzzer beating baseline-out-of-bounds play to defeat the Gauchos.
UC Irvine currently sit alone in second place in The Big West standings and just one game behind first place, UC San Diego. In the most recent Mid-Major Poll, the Anteaters ranked sixth, marking 17 straight weeks they have ranked inside the top 10. Additionally, UC Irvine is one of the best teams away from home as they rank 26
th by Haslametrics.com and have 15 wins away from the Bren Center.
The Anteater defense is no joke, as they currently rank 12
th by KenPom.com in adjusted defensive rating. They rank second in The Big West in opponent points per game and second in scoring margin.
FOLLOW ALONG
The Gauchos and Anteaters will tip off at 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 8. Prior to the game, Santa Barbara will honor 11 seniors who will be playing their final game at home. For those unable to attend in person, the game will be streamed through ESPN+ with live stats available.
