Friday, November 8
4:00 PM
UC Santa Cruz Athletics
96
vs
46
Caltech
Slugs Defeat Beavers in Home Opener Blowout
11/8/2024 7:23:00 PM | Men's Basketball
SANTA CRUZ, CA – The UC Santa Cruz Banana Slugs dominated the Caltech Beavers in a 96-46 victory at home, showcasing their depth and defensive strength.
The first half began evenly, with both teams trading points, tied at 15-15 early on. UCSC then went on an impressive 16-0 run, with contributions from starters and bench players, establishing a solid 31-15 lead. The Banana Slugs kept their momentum, closing the half up 41-23. UCSC capitalized on Caltech turnovers, converting them into 10 points, with 16 points coming from the bench.
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In the second half, Caltech opened the scoring with a three-pointer to make it 26-41, but UCSC quickly responded with a 12-0 run, extending their lead to 53-26. With strong defensive plays and quick transitions, UCSC held control, scoring 17 points off turnovers and 25 points from their bench in the half.
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Ian McCloskey led UCSC with 18 points and five assists, while Joseph Espy was perfect from the field, going 6-for-6 with 17 points and four rebounds. Caden Breznikar filled the stat sheet with 6 points, four assists, and 10 rebounds, and Ben Lim added 14 points and five rebounds.
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The Banana Slugs dominated key statistics, out-rebounding Caltech 43-28 and dishing out 25 assists to Caltech's 8. UCSC also excelled in fast breaks and second-chance opportunities, finishing with 42 points in the paint, 19 fast-break points, 27 points off turnovers, 41 bench points, and 16 second-chance points.
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UC Santa Cruz looks to carry this momentum into their next game against Chapman on Saturday, November 9th, at West Field.
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The first half began evenly, with both teams trading points, tied at 15-15 early on. UCSC then went on an impressive 16-0 run, with contributions from starters and bench players, establishing a solid 31-15 lead. The Banana Slugs kept their momentum, closing the half up 41-23. UCSC capitalized on Caltech turnovers, converting them into 10 points, with 16 points coming from the bench.
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In the second half, Caltech opened the scoring with a three-pointer to make it 26-41, but UCSC quickly responded with a 12-0 run, extending their lead to 53-26. With strong defensive plays and quick transitions, UCSC held control, scoring 17 points off turnovers and 25 points from their bench in the half.
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Ian McCloskey led UCSC with 18 points and five assists, while Joseph Espy was perfect from the field, going 6-for-6 with 17 points and four rebounds. Caden Breznikar filled the stat sheet with 6 points, four assists, and 10 rebounds, and Ben Lim added 14 points and five rebounds.
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The Banana Slugs dominated key statistics, out-rebounding Caltech 43-28 and dishing out 25 assists to Caltech's 8. UCSC also excelled in fast breaks and second-chance opportunities, finishing with 42 points in the paint, 19 fast-break points, 27 points off turnovers, 41 bench points, and 16 second-chance points.
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UC Santa Cruz looks to carry this momentum into their next game against Chapman on Saturday, November 9th, at West Field.
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Players Mentioned
Wing
/ Men's Basketball
Center/Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
