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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
UC Santa Cruz looks to carry this momentum into their next game against Chapman on Saturday, November 9th, at West Field.