Once Upon A Time In Las Vegas – Wildcard Edition
The UC Irvine Anteaters play host to the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos on Monday night in a crucial Big West basketball showdown from the Bren Events Center. UC Irvine sits in first place in the conference standings, though the Gauchos find themselves a game back after losing their last time out. The Anteaters have five wins in a row in their own right and will be looking to keep the wins coming at home. The two have split the series into each of the past two seasons and with this becoming one of the better rivalries on the West Coast, this one is sue to be an exciting matchup.
UCSB was off to an undefeated start in Big West play up until their last game, which was a surprising loss, especially given that it came at home. That marked only the third loss for this team on the season and as a mainstay near the top of the conference standings over the last few years, they'd love nothing more than to grab a win against the top dog in Monday's matchup. There's no doubt they've played better at home than on the road this season but with a 7-2 record in road and neutral games, this group won't be daunted hitting the road in this one, especially after winning on the road in this series last season. The Gauchos had put together a lengthy winning streak prior to the loss at home the last time out, including three-straight road wins in Big West play, which should serve to send confidence and momentum going in the right direction in this one.
It should help that UCSB gets to hit the r oad without having to worry about any injuries. With a clean bill of health, the Gauchos can put their depth to the test against one of the most physical teams in the Big West.
Final in The Thunderdome.
AJAY MITCHELL: 15 points, 4 assists
COLE ANDERSON: 13 points, 66.7 FG%
ANDRE KELLY: 12 points, 6 rebounds
MILES NORRIS: 12 points, 3 assists, 1 block pic.twitter.com/ya39UCWfFb— UC Santa Barbara Basketball (@UCSBbasketball) January 15, 2023
Despite the success so far this season, this is likely to be a difficult matchup, especially given UC Irvine's offensive prowess. That'll mean that the Gauchos will need to find some scoring. Ajay Mitchell (15.9 ppg, 4.5 apg) has been special this season but will need to step up his game in a big way to keep pace in this one. Luckily, the Gauchos have been strong on the defensive side of things, where they have the country's 29th-ranked scoring defense and as the fourth-best defensive rebounding team in the country, they should be able to limit UC Irvine's second-chance opportunities. Limitations when it comes to rim protection is a concern as well and they'll need the frontcourt to have their best game yet.