SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (Interstat) — A surging UC Santa Barbara looks to continue its climb in the Big West standings when it hosts struggling Cal Poly in a men’s basketball matchup Thursday night at the Thunderdome.

The Gauchos (11-7) have won two straight, including a 77-62 home victory over Hawaii last Saturday. They will be heavily favored against a Mustangs squad that has lost three of its last four to fall to 7-12 overall.

UC Santa Barbara’s backcourt is led by Aidan Mahaney, who scored 17 points and dished four assists against Hawaii. The guard has been inconsistent in conference play, however, scoring 23 points in a loss to Cal State Fullerton but being held to just two points in a win at Cal State Bakersfield.

Cal Poly’s hopes likely rest with the hot hand of guard Hamad Mousa. The standout has scored 19 or more points in five straight games, including a 34-point outburst in a narrow loss at Cal State Northridge on Jan. 8 and 26 points in a tight win over UC San Diego. In the Mustangs’ most recent game, an 86-66 home loss to Hawaii, Mousa led the team with 17 points.

The Gauchos won the first meeting between the teams last season, and the programs will meet again in San Luis Obispo on Feb. 14.

For UC Santa Barbara, this begins a critical stretch with five of its next seven games on the road. The Gauchos visit Long Beach State on Saturday. Cal Poly, seeking to stabilize its season, returns home to host Cal State Fullerton on Saturday.

Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. PST at the Thunderdome on the UC Santa Barbara campus.