SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — The No. 3 UC Santa Barbara Women's Basketball team enters the week set for two Big West showdowns. The Gauchos will open the stretch at home on Thursday against No. 2 UC San Diego in what promises to be a highly anticipated match between two of the conference's top three teams. On Saturday, the team will head south to take on Cal State Fullerton (No. 5) on their home court in the Titan Gym. 

ROLLING ON A HIGH
Coming off last week, the Gauchos are carrying momentum after back-to-back wins over Cal Poly and Long Beach State. Santa Barbara took control in the second quarter against the Mustangs with a 19-point run, building a near 20-point halftime lead. Zoe Borter led all scorers with 24 points, marking her fifth double-digit performance of the season. In their second win over Long Beach State, Olivia Bradley delivered a standout performance with 20 points on 70% shooting while adding a game-high of four blocks.

A PEAK AT THE OPPONENT
The UC San Diego Tritons currently hold an 8–1 record in the Big West, placing them as the No. 2 seed in the conference. Coming off a close two-point win over No. 1 UC Irvine, the Tritons will be confident and ready to compete on Thursday. 

The Fullerton Titans are currently riding a three-game winning streak. The last time they faced the Gauchos on January 1, Fullerton won with a buzzer-beater, defeating UCSB 62–61. Fans can expect another action-packed rematch on Saturday.

CATCH THE ACTION
Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 28 in the Thunderdome against UC San Diego, and 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 31 on Fullerton's home court. Fans can watch both games live on ESPN+ or follow along with live stats on the UCSB Athletics website.