SANTA CRUZ, CA --UC Santa Cruz played their first road game of the 2015 calendar year Saturday as they took on California Maritime Academy in Vallejo. The Banana Slugs used a balanced first half to beat the host Keelhaulers 75-57. 

Both teams were coming off losses in their last contest. UC Santa Cruz was coming off a 66-50 loss to Westmont College in Santa Cruz on Thursday while California Maritime was coming off a 78-41 loss to UC Davis last Saturday in Davis. 

The Banana Slugs would take the early lead they scored the first two baskets of the ballgame on baskets by Adam Marlow and Jared Ponce. The Banana Slugs would expand their lead to seven, at 16-9, on a Jared Ponce basket with 11:43 remaining in the half. The Keelhaulers would claw their way back into the game and would take their largest lead of the game, at 20-18, on a Zach Davis three point play with 9:45 left in the half. The Banana Slugs would take the lead for good, at 23-22, on a Matthew Ponce jumper with 8:04 left in the half. The Banana Slugs would expand their lead to thirteen on two occasions; the second occasion coming with 1:57 left, at 39-26, on a Jared Ponce layup. Alec Fetzer would add a three pointer for the Keelhaulers before the end of the half and the Banana Slugs would lead 39-29 at the halftime break. 

In the second half, the Banana Slugs would hold the lead for the entire half. The Keelhaulers would trim the Banana Slugs' lead to three on two occasions; the second occasion coming at 45-42 with 12:14 remaining on a Roman Delgado jumper. The Banana Slugs would expand their lead to double digits and would gain their largest lead of the game at eighteen, at 67-49, on an Adam Marlow three pointer with 4:34 left. The Banana Slugs would win 74-57 to break their losing streak at one. The seventy five points scored was the largest offensive output of the season for the Banana Slugs. 

Jared Ponce had a game high sixteen points for the Banana Slugs. Davis had twelve points for the Keelhaulers. Marlow had fourteen points, Tyler Berkness had thirteen points and Matthew Ponce had eleven in the win. Fetzer had nine points for the Keelhaulers. 

The Banana Slugs shot 59.6% (28-47) from the field, 55.6% (10-18) from the three point line and was 69.2% (9-13) from the free throw line. The Keelhaulers shot 42.9% (18-42) from the field, 16.7% (2-12) from the three point line and 79.2% (19-24) from the foul line. UC Santa Cruz's defense forced twenty Keelhauler turnovers scoring twenty two points off the turnovers while the Keelhaulers' defense forced nineteen turnovers by UC Santa Cruz scoring eleven points off the turnovers. The rebounding battle was even as both teams had nineteen rebounds. The Banana Slugs would score fourteen more points off the bench (37-23) than did the Keelhaulers. 

The Banana Slugs will now have a week to get ready for their next game. The Banana Slugs will take on NCCAA member Bethesda University of California on Saturday at West Field House. Tipoff is set for 4 pm.