Preview: Cal Poly at UC Santa Barbara Women’s Basketball SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (Interstat) — A stark contrast in Big West Conference fortunes will be on display Saturday when the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos host the Cal Poly Mustangs in a women’s basketball matchup at the Thunderdome. The Gauchos (16-6 overall) enter the Valentine’s Day contest positioned near the top of the conference standings, while the visiting Mustangs (3-20) are mired in a prolonged slump. UC Santa Barbara holds a decisive edge in the season series, having defeated Cal Poly 61-51 on the road just over three weeks ago on Jan. 22. Cal Poly’s season has been defined by narrow defeats, with four of its last five losses coming by single digits, including a 55-59 setback against UC Davis last Saturday. The Mustangs’ offense runs primarily through guard Charish Thompson, who is averaging 17.2 points over her last five games. She scored 20 points in the loss to UC Davis and poured in 20 points with nine rebounds against UC Riverside on Jan. 31. UC Santa Barbara looks to rebound from a disappointing 63-41 road loss to UC Irvine last weekend, a game where its offense struggled. Forward Júlia PuenteValverde, a consistent presence in the lineup, will aim to provide a boost. She posted a 13-rebound performance in a narrow loss to Cal State Fullerton on Jan. 31 and was a contributor in the previous win over Cal Poly. The Gauchos have been strong at home this season and will be heavily favored against a Cal Poly team that has lost 10 consecutive games since a conference win over Long Beach State on Jan. 3. The Mustangs’ last victory came on Dec. 21. Saturday’s game will be the only scheduled meeting between the Central Coast rivals in Santa Barbara this regular season. Following this contest, UC Santa Barbara hits the road for a game at Cal State Northridge on Feb. 19, while Cal Poly returns home to host Hawaii on the same date.