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SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The UC Santa Barbara Women’s Basketball team heads into the week with two Big West match ups on the schedule, beginning with a road contest at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo on Thursday, then a return home to host Long Beach State at The Thunderdome Saturday afternoon. 

LAST TIME OUT

The Gauchos enter the week following a 1-1 split. Santa Barbara earned a 82-67 win over Cal State Bakersfield before falling 67-50 to Hawai’i. 

Against the Roadrunners, Zoe Shaw led the way with 14 points, knocking down four three-pointers. Chauncey Anderson also delivered a standout performance, recording a career-high 12 rebounds along with four made free throws. 

Anderson continued her strong play against Hawai’i, posting a career-high two steals. Olivia Bradley also assisted in the Hawai’i contest and provided a spark off the bench, scoring 15 points in just 11 minutes of game time. 

Zoe Borter remains one of the Gauchos’ offensive leaders, totaling 245 points on the season and averaging 15.3 points per game, the highest on the team currently. Jessica Grant has been consistent from beyond the arc, bringing her season three-point total to 40. 

SCOPING SAN LUIS OBISPO 

Cal Poly enters the week on a three-game losing streak, including losses to UC Davis and Hawai’i. Despite recent struggles, the Mustangs have shown individual scoring power. Vanesa McManus scored 22 points against Hawai’i, while Charish Thompson added 18 points versus UC Davis. 

The Mustangs are currently 3-14 overall and 1-6 in Big West play. McManus leads the team with 288 points on the season, averaging 19.2 points per game, while Thompson has contributed 226 points. 

Santa Barbara currently holds a 27-23 advantage in the all-time series. However, the Gauchos dropped a close 56-54 decision in the teams’ last meeting and will be looking for revenge come Thursday night. 

LOOKING AT THE BEACH

Long Beach State is coming off of a heated win versus CSUN last week, but has faced challenges throughout the season. In that victory, JaQuoia Jones-Brown led the team with 10 points and eight rebounds, while Morgan Mack added 10 points, including two three-pointers. 

The Beach currently sits at 2-15 overall and 1-6 in conference play. Santa Barbara leads the all-time series 30-22 and is riding a three-game winning streak against The Beach. The Gauchos will aim to keep that momentum as they head into Saturday. 

TUNE IN LIVE

Tip off against Cal Poly is set for 7 p.m. on Thursday, January 22nd, at Mott Athletics Center. The Gauchos then return to The Thunderdome to host Long Beach State at 1 p.m. on Saturday, January 24th. Both games will be streamed live on ESPN+, with live stats available through the UCSB Athletics website.