Week in Sports

TOP SPORTING EVENTS: DECEMBER 8-23

This weekend (December 9-12) is Christmas for Santa Barbara sports fans. There are games galore, including the first national collegiate championship hosted by UCSB since 1981. That is the College Cup, featuring the final four teams in the NCAA men’s soccer tournament. The semifinals kick off at 5:30 p.m. Friday, with Louisville facing North Carolina, followed by Akron versus Michigan. The final is at 1 p.m. Sunday. For ticket information, see ucsbgauchos.com.

In other college action, the 38th annual SBCC Classic basketball tournament starts Thursday at the City College Sports Pavilion. It runs through Saturday. The host Vaqueros are 3-7, having played all their games on the road thus far. Steven Saenz, a 5’7” sophomore guard, has scored at least 20 points in four straight games.

Westmont College is ranked No. 22 on the NAIA women’s basketball poll. The Warriors (7-1) will return to Murchison Gym at 5:30 p.m. Saturday against Hope International. The Westmont men (5-3) will take the floor at 7:30 p.m.

UCSB will take on Texas-El Paso in a women’s basketball game at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Thunderdome. The Gauchos (2-5) are coming off a solid 71-38 victory at USF, as junior guard Emilie Johnson found her shooting groove with 18 points. The Gaucho men (4-3) and torrid-shooting junior James Nunnally (29 and 34 points in his last two games) are off this week. They will head to Las Vegas next Wednesday.

The high schools are busy too. There are girls basketball tournaments at San Marcos, Bishop Diego and Laguna Blanca beginning today. And in conjunction with the College Cup, the Soccer Town Showcase will feature 56 boys teams playing 84 games on Friday and Saturday.

Wednesday, December 8

High school boys soccer – Newbury Park at Dos Pueblos, 5 p.m.

High school girls basketball – Gold Coast Tournament at San Marcos; Cardinal Cage Classic at Bishop Diego; Laguna Blanca Invitational.

Thursday, December 9

High school girls soccer – Rio Mesa at Dos Pueblos, 3:15 p.m.; Oak Park at San Marcos, 3:30 p.m.

High school girls basketball – Gold Coast Tournament at San Marcos; Cardinal Cage Classic at Bishop Diego; Laguna Blanca Invitational.

College men’s basketball – SBCC Classic: Hancock vs. Cypress, 3 p.m.; Victor Valley vs. L.A. Valley, 5 p.m.; SBCC vs. West L.A., 7 p.m.; Oxnard vs. Barstow, 9 p.m.

Friday, December 10

High school boys soccer – Soccer Town Showcase: Taft at Santa Barbara, 2 p.m.; Golden Valley at San Marcos, 2 p.m.; Bellflower at Dos Pueblos, 2 p.m.; Segerstrom at Carpinteria, 2 p.m.; Clovis North at Bishop Diego, 2 p.m.; Ontario Christian at Laguna Blanca, 2 p.m.; San Luis Obispo at Cate, 2 p.m.

High school girls soccer – Moorpark at San Marcos, 5 p.m.; San Luis Obispo at Dos Pueblos, 5 p.m.

High school girls basketball – Gold Coast Tournament at San Marcos; Cardinal Cage Classic at Bishop Diego; Laguna Blanca Invitational.

High school boys basketball – Mater Dei at Dos Pueblos, 7:30 p.m.

College men’s basketball – SBCC Classic semifinals, 3-9 p.m.

College men’s soccer – College Cup semifinals at UCSB: Louisville vs. North Carolina, 5:30 p.m.; Akron vs. Michigan, 8 p.m.

Saturday, December 11

High school boys soccer – Soccer Town Showcase: Mission Prep at Bishop Diego, 8:30 a.m.; Cabrillo at Laguna Blanca, 8:30 a.m.; Harvard Westlake at Cate, 8:30 a.m.; Coachella Valley at Carpinteria, 10 a.m.; Mountain View at Santa Barbara, 11:30 a.m.; Buchanan at San Marcos, 11:30 a.m.; Bullard at Dos Pueblos, 11:30 a.m.; Nipomo at Bishop Diego, 1 p.m.; Calvary Murrieta at Laguna Blanca, 1 p.m.; Costa Mesa at Cate, 2:30 p.m.; San Clemente at Santa Barbara, 5:30 p.m.; Segerstrom at San Marcos, 5:30 p.m.; Cabrillo at Dos Pueblos, 5:30 p.m.; Central E. Fresno at Carpinteria, 5:30 p.m.

High school girls basketball – Orcutt Academy vs. Providence Hall at Westmont College, 9 a.m.; Gold Coast Tournament at San Marcos; Cardinal Cage Classic at Bishop Diego; Laguna Blanca Invitational.

High school boys basketball – Orcutt Academy vs. Providence Hall at Westmont College, 10:30 a.m.; Thacher at Bishop Diego, 5 p.m.

College women’s basketball – Hope International at Westmont, 5:30 p.m.; UTEP at UCSB, 7 p.m.

College men’s basketball – SBCC Classic finals (Consolation, 3 p.m.; Third place, 5 p.m.; Championship, 7 p.m.); Hope International at Westmont, 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, December 12

College men’s soccer – College Cup final at UCSB, 1 p.m.

Monday, December 13

Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table press luncheon, Harry’s Plaza Café, 12 p.m.

High school girls basketball – Malibu at Bishop Diego, 7 p.m.; Thacher at Carpinteria, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, December 14

High school girls water polo – Dos Pueblos at San Marcos, 3:15 p.m.

High school boys soccer – Pacifica at Dos Pueblos, 3:45 p.m.; Ventura at San Marcos, 5 p.m.

High school girls soccer – Buena at Santa Barbara, 5 p.m.

High school wrestling – Santa Ynez at San Marcos, 6 p.m.

College women’s basketball – UCSB at Cal State Bakersfield, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, December 15

High school boys basketball – Faith Baptist at Cate, 3:45 p.m.

High school girls basketball – Thacher at Laguna Blanca, 4 p.m.; Camarillo at Santa Barbara, 7 p.m.

High school boys soccer – Hueneme at Dos Pueblos, 5 p.m.

College men’s basketball – UCSB at UNLV, 7 p.m.

Thursday, December 16

High school girls soccer – Santa Ynez at Santa Barbara, 5 p.m.

Friday, December 17

High school girls basketball – Cornerstone Christian at Laguna Blanca, 5 p.m.

High school boys basketball – Cornerstone Christian at Laguna Blanca, 6:30 p.m.; San Marcos at Santa Barbara, 7 p.m.; Ventura at Dos Pueblos, 7 p.m.; Jim Bashore Cage Classic at Carpinteria, 3:30-8 p.m..

College men’s basketball – Menlo at Westmont, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, December 18

High school boys basketball – Jim Bashore Cage Classic at Carpinteria, 12-4:30 p.m.

College women’s basketball – UCSB vs. Fresno State at St. John’s (N.Y.), 12 p.m.

College men’s basketball – UCSB at San Diego State, 7 p.m.

Monday, December 20

High school boys basketball – Jim Bashore Cage Classic at Carpinteria, 3-7:30 p.m.

High school girls basketball – Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions.

Tuesday, December 21

High school boys basketball – Jim Bashore Cage Classic at Carpinteria, 3-7:30 p.m.

High school girls basketball – Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions.

College men’s basketball – California Baptist at UCSB, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, December 22

High school girls water polo – The Bishop’s School at Dos Pueblos, 10 a.m.

High school girls basketball – Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions.

Thursday, December 23

High school girls basketball – Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions; Nordhoff at Carpinteria, 2:30 p.m.