Week in Sports

TOP SPORTING EVENTS: FEBRUARY 25-MARCH 8

There was a lot of talk on Women and Girls in Sports Day earlier this month. On Saturday (Feb. 26), there will be a lot of action.

The women’s basketball teams of UCSB and Westmont College will be playing at home. The Gauchos, who rallied down the stretch to beat Long Beach State 74-70 on Thursday night, will seek their sixth consecutive victory against Cal State Northridge. Before the 2 p.m. tipoff, there will be a salute to seniors Margaret Johnson and Mekia Valentine. Westmont faces Concordia at 5:30 p.m. With a victory, the Warrior women will secure a home game Wednesday in the GSAC Tournament.

Bishop Diego High has reached the semifinals of the CIF Division 5A girls basketball playoffs. The Cardinals, who have scored three double-digit wins in the playoffs, will face No. 2-seeded Chadwick at 7 p.m. Saturday at Santa Barbara High’s J.R. Richards Gym.

Weather permitting, the Mission City Brawlin’ Betties will launch their 2011 roller derby schedule Saturday at the Earl Warren Showgrounds outdoor arena. The Betties will take on the only team to defeat them last year, the Santa Cruz Derby Girls Harbor Hellcats. Gates open at 4:30 p.m.

Water polo fans will trek to Orange County on Saturday to see if the Dos Pueblos High girls can make history with their second consecutive undefeated season and fourth straight CIF championship. The Chargers, winners of 66 games in a row, will face Foothill High in the Division 1 final at 6:30 p.m. in Irvine. Laguna Beach made a bid to spoil the Chargers’ quest in the semifinals, a marathon game that ended when Tiera Schroeder scored to give Dos Pueblos a 14-13 victory in sudden-death overtime.

Other traveling teams are the Gaucho men’s basketball squad, whose game at Long Beach State will be televised, and SBCC’s women, who play their second-round playoff game in San Bernardino.

Check out the events for runners at the end of the schedule. There are 5-kilometer and 5-mile runs the next two weekends.

Friday, February 25

High school boys soccer – CIF quarterfinals: Santa Barbara at JSerra (San Juan Capistrano), 3 p.m.; La Canada at Carpinteria, 3 p.m.; Cate at The Grove (Redlands), 3 p.m..

Saturday, February 26

College women’s tennis – Cal Poly at UCSB, 12 p.m.

College men’s tennis – San Diego State at UCSB, 1 p.m.

College softball – East L.A. at SBCC, 10 a.m.; L.A. Mission at SBCC, 2 p.m.

College women’s basketball – Cal State Northridge at UCSB, 2 p.m.; Concordia at Westmont, 5:30 p.m.; Southern California Regional: SBCC at San Bernardino Valley, 7 p.m.

College men’s basketball – UCSB at Long Beach State, 5:05 p.m. (TV: ESPN2); Concordia at Westmont, 7:30 p.m.

Roller Derby – Mission City Brawlin’ Betties vs. Santa Cruz Derby Girls, Earl Warren Showgrounds, 5 p.m.

High school girls water polo – CIF Division I final at William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center, Irvine: Dos Pueblos vs. Santa Ana Foothill, 6:30 p.m.

High school girls basketball – CIF semifinals: Bishop Diego vs. Chadwick at Santa Barbara High, 7 p.m.

Sunday, February 27

College men’s tennis – Hawaii at UCSB, 12 p.m.

Monday, February 28

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

College baseball – Irvine Valley at SBCC, Pershing Park, 1 p.m.

High school boys basketball – CIF semifinals: Bishop Diego vs. Orangewood Academy at Liberty Christian (Huntington Beach), 7 p.m.

Tuesday, March 1

College baseball – El Camino at SBCC, Pershing Park, 2 p.m.

High school boys soccer – CIF semifinals: West Torrance at Santa Barbara, 3 p.m.; Carpinteria at Oaks Christian, 3 p.m.; Cate at University Prep (Victorville), 3 p.m.

Wednesday, March 2

College men’s volleyball – Long Beach State at UCSB, 7 p.m.

College women’s basketball – GSAC tournament, first round: Vanguard at Westmont, 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 3

College men’s basketball – GSAC tournament, first round: Fresno Pacific at Westmont, 7:30 p.m.

Friday, March 4

College baseball – Sacramento State at UCSB, 2 p.m.

High school baseball – Oxnard at San Marcos, 3:15 p.m.; Pioneer Valley at Santa Barbara, 3:30 p.m.

College men’s volleyball – Cal State Northridge at UCSB, 7 p.m.

Saturday, March 5

College baseball – California Baptist at Westmont (2), 11 a.m.; Sacramento State at UCSB, 1 p.m.

College women’s basketball – UCSB at Cal Poly, 4 p.m.

College men’s basketball – Cal Poly at UCSB, 7:20 p.m. (TV: KCOY-12).

Sunday, March 6

College baseball – Sacramento State at UCSB, 1 p.m.

Monday, March 7

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

Tuesday, March 8

College baseball – USC at UCSB, 2 p.m.

College softball – Cuesta at SBCC, 2:30 p.m.

Women’s college basketball – Big West Tournament quarterfinals: TBA at UCSB, 7 p.m.

FOR RUNNERS AND BIKERS

Sunday, February 27 – Roses en la Playa 5K, Leadbetter Beach, 9 a.m. sbactionpro.com.

Saturday, March 5 – Shamrock 5 Miler, UCSB West Campus, 9 a.m. ucsbruns.com.

Saturday, March 12 – Solvang Century, 100- and 50-mile rides, Hotel Corque, 400 Alisal Road, 6:30 a.m. bikescor.com

Saturday, April 2 – Montecito Half Marathon. active.com.

Saturday, April 16 – Chardonnay 10 Miler/5K, Loma Alta and Shoreline Drive, a.m. sbactionpro.com.

Friday-Saturday, April 29-30 – Santa Barbara Endurance Races (100 mile, 100K, 50 mile, 50K, 35K, 25K 15K), Rancho Oso, 6 a.m. sber.co.

Saturday, April 30 – Gaucho Gallop, 10K/5K, UCSB Harder Stadium, 9 a.m. ucsbruns.com.