March 14, 2021 at 10:22 am by Brandon Victor
For the first time in ten years, the Gauchos are dancing.
On Saturday, the UCSB menâs basketball team knocked off the reigning champions UC Irvine 79-63 in the Big West Tournament Championship. With the win, the Gauchos improve to 22-4 on the season and â more importantly â secure a berth in next weekâs NCAA Tournament.
On paper, Saturdayâs title matchup was poised to be a clash between two of the best teams in the conference. While Santa Barbara (22-4, 13-3) entered the tournament as the top seed, the Anteaters (18-9, 10-4) knocked off the Gauchos twice during conference play. With both teams allowing a mere 62.8 points per game, the winner-take-all matchup seemed certain to be a back and forth defensive affair.
DJ Davis came off the bench to tally 18 points to lift UC Irvine to a 71-68 overtime win over Long Beach State on Friday. Collin Welp had 18 points for UC Irvine (15-8, 12-4 Big West Conference). Brad Greene added 11 points, nine rebounds and three blocks.
Maddox Jr lifts CSU Fullerton past UC Irvine 67-64 yahoo.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from yahoo.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
UC Irvine looks to sweep CSUB
February 6, 2021 GMT
Bren Events Center, Irvine, California; Saturday, 10 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Cal State Bakersfield seeks revenge on UC Irvine after dropping the first matchup in Irvine. The teams last played each other on Feb. 5, when the Anteaters outshot Cal State Bakersfield 43.4 percent to 39.3 percent and made 14 more foul shots en route to the 17-point victory.
BIG MEN ON CAMPUS: UC Irvine’s Collin Welp has averaged 12.9 points and 6.5 rebounds while Brad Greene has put up 10.9 points and 7.7 rebounds. For the Roadrunners, Taze Moore has averaged 11 points and four rebounds while Justin Edler-Davis has put up 9.7 points and four rebounds.