Men's basketball: Win one, lose one
On Feb. 3, the UCSC men's basketball team defeated Simpson University in the West Field House with an impressive 82-54 victory.It was an historic night as senior Ryan Matsuoka ran his career-scoring total as a Slug to more than 1,500 points, making him the second-highest-scoring Slug in UCSC men's basketball history. Matsuoka was presented with a game ball to commemorate this outstanding achievement.
After Jake Moore controlled the tip, the Slugs pounded the ball inside with instant dividends.
With a big lead early, Coach Gordon Johnson was able to get plenty of playing time for all the Slugs, with freshmen Spencer Wells and Nick Hipwell adding to the scoring total. While the fast-paced Slugs committed 9 turnovers in the first half, they were just too fast for Simpson and held a 44-28 lead at intermission.
Freshmen Nick Hipwell (10) and Trent Reeves (11) had career best-scoring nights. Tyler Hunt, going 3 for 5 behind the arc, had a seasonal best of 16 points. The team shot above 50 percent from the field for the first time this season while scoring a season-high 82 points.
The following week, the team lost to Holy Names University in a close game--76-79--to bring their overall record to 10-13, and 5-9 against NCAA Division III institutions.
The Slugs will host the Independents Post Season Tournament on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 25-26. Check goslugs.com for details.
The Slugs and Spartans pose with the MacBeath Cup after the men's rugby game on Feb. 5.
Men's rugby: Spartans keep the cup
UCSC hosted San Jose State University on Saturday, Feb. 5, on the Lower East Field for the annual MacBeath Cup. After a hard-fought game, the Spartans held onto the cup for another year, defeating the Slugs 15-12.
Junior Zach Olenik (No. 19) in men's lacrosse action against Concordia on Feb. 5 on the UCSC Upper East Field.
