SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (Interstat) — The Santa Barbara City College Vaqueros will seek to even the season series and bolster their playoff positioning when they host the Cuesta College Cougars in a California Community College men’s basketball game Friday night.

The Vaqueros (12-13) enter the contest looking to halt a two-game skid, most recently a 72-65 road loss to Allan Hancock on Feb. 14. The Cougars (9-17) have lost three of their last four, including a 114-101 home defeat to Ventura on the same date.

In their first meeting on Jan. 28, Cuesta secured a 78-66 home victory. Cougars guard Ryan McNamee led all scorers with 15 points in that game, part of a recent stretch where he has been a consistent offensive threat. McNamee is coming off a 22-point performance against Ventura.

Santa Barbara will counter with forward Jack Berry, who posted a team-high 20 points and five rebounds in the loss to Allan Hancock. Berry was limited to just 10 points in the previous matchup against Cuesta. His scoring punch will be vital for a Vaqueros squad averaging just over 70 points per game in conference play.

Both teams have struggled for consistency in Western State Conference play. The game represents a critical opportunity for Santa Barbara to climb back to .500 overall, while Cuesta aims to play spoiler and build momentum for the final stretch of the regular season.

Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Santa Barbara City College Sports Pavilion.