UC-Santa Barbara Gauchos (24-6) vs Cal Poly Mustangs (8-24)
Game Info: Thursday, March 9, 2023 at 9:00 pm (Dollar Loan Center)
Betting Odds: UC-Santa Barbara Gauchos -10.5 -- Over/Under: 131.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds
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The Cal Poly Mustangs and the UCSB Gauchos will meet in Henderson to face off in the quarterfinals of the Big West Championship at the Dollar Loan Center on the ESPN+.
Cal Poly moved to 8-24 after defeating Long Beach State in the first round. The Mustangs used a huge second half to upset the Beach by twenty, 88-68. Cal Poly is scoring 65.9 points per game, while shooting 43.6% from the floor, and 33.1 from deep.
Cal Poly dropped 18 straight games prior to advancing on Tuesday, and they might get back to their old ways here. Alimamy Koroma leads the charge for Cal Poly again this season. The senior center scored 19 points in the season finale to finish as their leading scorer at 10.6 ppg, while grabbing 4.2 rpg. Junior forward Brantley Stevenson has combined for 60 points in the last two games, and he’s scoring an identical 10.5 ppg.
UC-Santa Barbara improved to 24-7 following a home win over Hawaii. The Gauchos pounced on the Warriors quickly and held on to beat them by twenty, 81-61. UCSB is scoring 70.4 points per game, while allowing 64.0 ppg, and shooting 49.1% from the floor.
UCSB captured another regular season conference crown after dispatching Hawaii, and they’ll look to become outright champions this week. The inside-out duo of Miles Norris and Ajay Mitchell. Norris led the team with 18 points versus Hawaii, and the third-year starter is averaging career-bests of 14.2 ppg and 6.4 rpg. Mitchell double-doubled in the season finale against the Warriors, and he leads UCSB in scoring (15.7) and assists (5.2). Cal transfer Andre Kelly also posted his second double-double in three games, and he’s up to 9.7 ppg and 6.5 rpg.
Cal Poly is 15-15 against the spread this season, with a 10-19 over/under record. UCSB is 14-15 ATS this year, with a 18-11 o/u record.
Cal Poly’s first round win should serve as the highlight of their season, and that itself will likely come to a close Thursday evening. UCSB has been sharp this season, and with an outright Big West title within reach, they won’t let Cal Tech be the team to alter that. This should be another that simply comes down to how much, as UCSB should advance comfortably here.
Corey’s Pick UCSB -10.5
AUTHOR: Corey Ghee
Mitch's Take...
