RIVERSIDE, Calif. (Interstat) — A surging UC Santa Barbara squad looks to continue its climb in the Big West standings when it visits struggling UC Riverside on Thursday night at the UCR Rec Center. The Gauchos (16-8 overall) enter on a strong run, having won seven of their last eight games. Their most recent outing was an 84-79 home victory over UC Irvine last Saturday, keyed by 21 points from guard Aidan Mahaney. The junior has been a consistent force, averaging 16.1 points over his last eight contests and scoring 21 or more three times in that span. He is supported by CJ Shaw and Hosana Kitenge, who added 15 and 12 points, respectively, against the Anteaters. Conversely, the Highlanders (8-17) have lost five of their last six, including an 88-74 defeat at Cal State Northridge on Saturday. The lone bright spot in that loss was a career-high 36-point explosion from guard Marqui Worthy. The senior has been a high-volume scorer, averaging 20.8 points over his last eight games and topping 22 points four times during that stretch. His offensive output will be critical for a Riverside team seeking an upset. The matchup pits two of the conference’s top individual scorers in Mahaney and Worthy against one another. UC Santa Barbara’s success has been built on efficient offense and stout defense, holding opponents under 70 points in four of their last five wins. UC Riverside has struggled to find consistent stops, allowing 78 or more points in four of their last five losses. Thursday’s game is the first of two regular-season meetings between the teams this month. They will meet again in Santa Barbara on Feb. 26. The Gauchos have dominated the recent series, winning the last six matchups. In their only meeting last season, UC Santa Barbara defeated UC Riverside 76-62 on Jan. 18, 2025. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. PST. UC Santa Barbara visits Cal Poly on Saturday, while UC Riverside travels to UC San Diego.