UC Irvine Men's Basketball Falls to UC Santa Barbara

Anteaters lose 84-79 in heated matchup at The Thunderdome

Published on Mar. 8, 2026

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The UC Irvine Men's Basketball team (16-8, 9-3) fell to the UC Santa Barbara (16-8, 9-4) Gauchos 84-79 on national television, in front of 3,908 people at The Thunderdome in Santa Barbara on Feb. 7. The game featured several technical fouls and heated exchanges between the coaches and officials.

Why it matters

This loss drops UC Irvine to 9-3 in conference play, putting them in a tighter race for the Big West title. The rivalry between the two schools also adds extra intensity to the matchup, with the teams splitting their previous two meetings.

The details

The game was close throughout, with the teams trading leads in the first half before UCSB built a double-digit advantage in the second. Technical fouls were called on both head coaches, Russell Turner of UCI and Joe Pasternack of UCSB, leading to Turner's ejection. UCSB guard Aidan Mahaney led all scorers with 21 points, while UCI's Andre Henry had 18 points in the losing effort.

  • The game was played on February 7, 2026.
  • The teams had previously met on March 8, 2025, with UCI winning 97-88.

The players

Aidan Mahaney

A senior guard for UC Santa Barbara who led all scorers with 21 points.

Andre Henry

A graduate student guard for UC Irvine who scored a team-high 18 points in the loss.

Russell Turner

The head coach of the UC Irvine Men's Basketball team, who was ejected from the game after receiving two technical fouls.

Joe Pasternack

The head coach of the UC Santa Barbara Men's Basketball team, who also received a technical foul during the heated matchup.

Ali Ton

The assistant coach for UC Irvine who took over as head coach after Russell Turner's ejection.

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What they’re saying

“Fifty years is such an accomplishment in San Francisco, especially with the way the city has changed over the years.”

— Gordon Edgar, grocery employee (Instagram)

What’s next

The Anteaters will look to bounce back when they travel to take on Cal Poly on February 12.

The takeaway

This heated rivalry matchup between UC Irvine and UC Santa Barbara featured technical fouls, ejections, and a close final score, underscoring the intensity of the Big West Conference race as the season enters its final stretch.