SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The UC Santa Barbara men's basketball team looks to extend its six-game winning streak at UC Davis on Thursday before returning home on Saturday to face UC Irvine. The Gauchos will face the fourth-place Aggies and the first-place Anteaters in two crucial Big West matchups.
LAST TIME OUT
UC Santa Barbara defeated Cal State Fullerton 83-69 last Saturday, maintaining their lead from start to finish. The Gauchos, with strong offensive and defensive efforts game-round, took advantage of the Titans' 15 turnovers, scoring 25 points off of them in total. Miro Little set the tone early with his opening layup and stayed active throughout the half, adding a jumper and two free throws while keeping a strong defensive presence. Colin Smith, Marvin McGhee IV, and Aidan Mahaney came through with crucial 3-pointers, and Smith and CJ Shaw racked up multiple steals. Zion Sensley contributed to the Gaucho's strong second half with a jumper early on. The Blue and Gold out-rebounded Fullerton 21 to 14, and UCSB's efficient scoring and defensive depth allowed them to stay in control and close out a decisive home victory.
SCOUTING THE AGGIES
The Aggies come into this matchup sitting 13-6 overall and 6-5 in the Big West after edging out Cal State Bakersfield 80-72 last Saturday. UC Davis has a strong home record, winning 9 of their 12 games there on the season. The Aggies are led by Jim Les, now in his 15th season as head coach, who has guided the team to 210 victories during his tenure.
UC Davis is averaging 79.6 points per game, good for 5th in the Big West. On defense, they allow 76.2 points per game on average, also 5th in the conference. The team shoots 36.2% beyond the arc, ranking 2nd in the Big West, and averages 8.9 threes per game. The team struggles with rebounds, pulling down 34.0 per game and ranking second-to-last in the conference.
The Aggies have two players in the top 15 of the conference for scoring: junior guards Nils Cooper, with 14.0 points per game, and Connor Sevilla, with 13.8. Cooper also holds a 56.3% field goal percentage, good for 3rd in the Big West. Sevilla boasts an 88.9% free throw percentage, 1st in the conference, and averages2.4 three-pointers per game. As a team, Davis has five players averaging double figures offensively.
SCOUTING THE ANTEATERS
The Anteaters lead the Big West at 15-7 overall and 8-2 in conference play, and they are coming off three consecutive wins–most recently, an 87-76 win against Hawai'i last Thursday. The team also holds a strong away record at 5-3. Head coach Russell Turner, the winningest coach in UCI history, is in his 16th season with the team, having amassed 321 wins and averaged more than 20 victories per year. This will be the first time these conference rivals face off this season.
UC Irvine ranks lower in the Big West offensively, averaging 77.4 points per game; however, they shine defensively, allowing only 67.2 points per game on average, ranking 2nd in the conference. They shoot 33.1% from beyond the arc, making just 5.6 threes per game, but own a strong opponent three-point percentage at 33.5%. They also rank 2nd in the Big West in team rebounds at 41.0 per game.
The team is led by sophomore Jurian Dixon, who ranks 6th in the conference with 15.7 points scored per game. Dixon also averages 2.0 three-pointers per game and ranks fifth in the Big West with a 40% clip from beyond the arc. Senior Kyle Evans is another strong presence for the Aggies' lineup, averaging 11.8 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Sophomore Derin Saran leads the team in assists, with 3.7 per game. These three are also the team's sole double-digit scorers this season.
FOLLOW ALONG
UC Santa Barbara and UC Davis will tip off at 6 p.m. inside University Credit Union Center on Thursday, February 5th, while on Saturday, February 7th, UC Santa Barbara's matchup against UC Irvine begins inside the Thunderdome at 7 p.m. Thursday's game will be streamed on ESPN+, and Saturday's game will be nationally televised and available to watch on ESPNU. Live stats for both games will be available for those unable to attend in person.
