Preview: Portland Pilots at UC Santa Barbara Gauchos SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (Interstat) — Two teams looking to rebound from midweek losses will meet Monday when the Portland Pilots visit the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos in a nonconference men’s basketball game at the Thunderdome. Portland (7-5) arrives after a 94-69 defeat at Oregon on Wednesday. The Pilots have shown offensive firepower, averaging 81.2 points per game, but have struggled defensively in road losses to Power Five opponents Oregon and Stanford. The Pilots are led by guard Joel Foxwell, who is coming off a 21-point, eight-assist performance against the Ducks. Over his last six games, Foxwell has averaged 11.5 points and 8.5 assists, including a 15-assist outing in a win over Kent State on Dec. 14. UC Santa Barbara (8-4) also looks to bounce back after a 67-64 loss at Green Bay on Wednesday snapped a two-game winning streak. The Gauchos have been strong at home, posting a 5-1 record at the Thunderdome this season. Guard Aidan Mahaney paces the Gauchos’ offense. He scored 18 points in the loss to Green Bay and has been a consistent scorer, including a 30-point outburst in a 109-84 win over Cal State Bakersfield on Dec. 6. Mahaney is averaging 18.2 points over his last five contests. The matchup features a contrast in tempo. Portland prefers a faster pace and leads the nation in assists per game (21.3), while UC Santa Barbara will look to control the game with a more methodical approach and rely on its defense, which holds opponents to 41.2% shooting. This is the final nonconference tune-up for both teams before league play begins in January. Portland opens West Coast Conference action Jan. 2 at Saint Mary’s, while UC Santa Barbara starts Big West play Jan. 1 at Cal State Fullerton. Monday’s game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. PST tipoff.