SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (Interstat) — A surging UC Santa Barbara looks to continue its push atop the Big West standings when it visits rival Cal Poly on Saturday. The Gauchos (16-8, 8-3 Big West) have won seven of their last eight games, including an 84-79 home victory over UC Irvine last Saturday. Their lone loss in that stretch was a 10-point road defeat at UC Davis. Cal Poly (9-16, 4-7) has lost two straight, most recently a 67-58 decision at UC Davis. The matchup at Robert Mott Gymnasium is a quick rematch of a Jan. 22 meeting in Santa Barbara, which the Gauchos dominated 107-67. In that game, UCSB shot 60% from the field and held the Mustangs to 34% shooting. A key player for UC Santa Barbara is guard Aidan Mahaney, who is coming off a 21-point performance against UC Irvine. Over his last seven games, Mahaney is averaging 15.4 points. He scored 15 points in 22 minutes in the first meeting with Cal Poly this season. Cal Poly will look to forward Jess Esso Essis to provide a spark. He has scored in double figures in three consecutive games, including 12 points in the loss at UC Davis. In the January loss to the Gauchos, the Mustangs were led by Hamad Mousa’s 16 points. The Gauchos’ current run has been built on efficient offense and improved defense, holding opponents to an average of 68.1 points during their 7-1 stretch. Cal Poly has shown offensive flashes, scoring 94 points in a win at UC Riverside on Jan. 31, but has struggled with consistency. A Cal Poly victory would provide a major boost to its conference tournament seeding hopes, while UCSB aims to keep pace near the top of the league. The game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. PST tip-off on Feb. 14.