UC Irvine Faces Test at Santa Barbara

UC Irvine’s basketball team, which has had 10 days to savor its 91-90 victory over UCLA, will have to perform almost as well to win today’s 5 p.m. game at UC Santa Barbara.

Santa Barbara (9-0) is the only Big West team that hasn’t played a conference game yet, but the Gauchos have an impressive list of victims, including Loyola Marymount, Pepperdine, Oregon, Santa Clara and Colorado. Irvine is 3-7 overall and 0-1 in the Big West, having lost at Nevada Las Vegas 3 weeks ago.

The Gauchos have balance. Guard Carrick DeHart, who is averaging 20 points, is providing outside scoring, and forward Mike Doyle and center Eric McArthur have dominated underneath. McArthur is shooting 65% from the floor, Doyle 55% and DeHart 53%.

Irvine guard Kevin Floyd has averaged 24 points in the last 5 games.