Sarah Porter brings the ball up the court.

Next on the UCSB women’s basketball team’s schedule is the University of San Diego at the top of the new week. The Gauchos return home to host the Toreros on Monday, Nov. 27.

USD this season is 4-1 overall. The Toreros most recently crushed Long Beach State 74-40 at home, so they have plenty of momentum heading into Monday’s contest. With an average of 17 turnovers per game, the Toreros are averaging high turnover numbers similar to the Gauchos.

In the last meeting between the two programs, UCSB lost to USD 77-63 at the Jenny Craig Pavilion, so the Gauchos are looking to avenge the defeat all while seeking their second win.

Despite their early struggles, the Gauchos will look to improve on their 1-4 record in hopes of snapping their four-game losing streak against a Toreros team that is 4-1.

Following their disappointing tournament appearance, UCSB will aim to bounce back at home and learn from their recent shortcomings. The Gauchos have plenty of talent on both ends of the court, so it seems just a matter of time before head coach Bonnie Henrickson and her staff put the pieces together. With the regular season picking up, it’s a perfect time for the Gauchos to try to hit their stride.

UCSB has only played one home game aside from their exhibition win against CSU East Bay this season, so the coming two straight games at the Thunderdome will allow a bit of continuity for the team.

Still early in the season, the Gauchos have plenty of time and opportunities to fix some of their recurring problems. Averaging just over 15 turnovers per game, UCSB will need to cut down on a variety of mistakes costing them possessions.

While the Gauchos are featuring three freshmen guards this season in Sarah Bates, Danae Miller and Cece Quintino, the turnovers cannot simply be attributed to the freshmen.

Drew Edelman is averaging 2.6 turnovers per game and although she is also averaging roughly 16 points per contest, the talented forward has had ample opportunities to dominate the paint. With just a few more shots falling for the 6’4 Edelman, Santa Barbara’s offense will run more smoothly and surely take pressure off of the freshmen ball-handlers.

UCSB-USD will tip-off at 7 p.m. at the Thunderdome.