UC Riverside Highlanders vs. UCSB Gauchos: How to watch online, live stream info, start time, TV channel

How to watch California Riverside vs. Santa Barbara basketball game

By Scout Staff

Dec 30, 2023 at 8:50 pm ET • 2 min read

Halftime Report

UCSB is on the road but looking no worse for wear. After one quarter, neither squad has the contest in the bag, but UCSB leads 37-34 over UC Riverside.

If UCSB keeps playing like this, they'll bump their record up to 8-4 in no time. On the other hand, UC Riverside will have to make due with a 5-9 record unless they turn things around (and fast).

Who's Playing

UCSB Gauchos @ UC Riverside Highlanders

Current Records: UCSB 7-4, UC Riverside 5-8

How To Watch

When: Saturday, December 30, 2023 at 8 p.m. ET
Where: Student Recreation Center -- Riverside, California
Follow: CBS Sports App
Online Streaming: Catch select College Basketball matches on Fubo (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
Ticket Cost: $28.00

What to Know

UC Riverside will be in front of their home fans on Saturday, but a look at the spread shows they might need that home-court advantage. The UC Riverside Highlanders and the UCSB Gauchos will face off in a Big West battle at 8:00 p.m. ET at Student Recreation Center. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they'll have plenty of motivation to get the 'W'.

Last Thursday, the Highlanders couldn't handle the Anteaters and fell 73-66. UC Riverside has struggled against UC Irvine recently, as their match on Thursday was their seventh consecutive lost matchup.

Meanwhile, UCSB unfortunately witnessed the end of their three-game winning streak on Thursday. They took a 76-62 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Aggies. UCSB didn't live up to their potential and found themselves falling short of the advantage oddsmakers thought they had coming into the game.

UCSB struggled to get the ball back on offense and finished the game with only two offensive rebounds. That's the fewest offensive rebounds they've managed all season.

The Highlanders bumped their record down to 5-8 with that defeat, which was their seventh straight on the road. That poor showing could be blamed on the team's lackluster offensive performance across that stretch, as they only averaged 59.7 points per game. As for the Gauchos, their defeat dropped their record down to 7-4.

This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: UC Riverside have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 37.1 rebounds per game. However, it's not like UCSB struggles in that department as they've been averaging 39.4 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.

UC Riverside came up short against UCSB in their previous matchup back in March, falling 92-87. Will UC Riverside have more luck at home instead of on the road?