Cuesta Men's Basketball has endured some growing pains this year after entering the season with only two players and one starter back from the 2022-23 campaign.  Cuesta dropped eight of its first nine games, but the team has finally come together and is poised to challenge #11 Moorpark and #18 Allan Hancock for the 2024 Western State Conference (WSC) title.  Coach Rusty Blair and Assistant Coach Ralph Gorton, the former title winning WSC Coach of the Year for Allan Hancock, have combined to win a dozen titles since 1994 and their quest begins anew this week.  The Cougars, who were short-handed while losing their two non-conference last week, are back at full strength to open their WSC schedule.  The Cougars are 5-11 on the season and shall kick-off the conference play at Santa Barbara City on Wednesday (5 PM) and return home to host Ventura on Saturday (3 PM).  Both games shall precede the women's game.  

Cuesta lost their final two non-conference games at College of the Canyons, 83-71, in Santa Clarita on Wednesday and at Glendale, 62-59, on Saturday.  In Wednesday's game, their fellow Cougars took advantage of a depleted Cuesta frontline and pounded the paint to accrue all but six of their points at the free throw line or inside the arch.  Cuesta did post their second highest total for three-pointers on the season; however, Canyons also made nine more free throws and held rebounding advantage at 41-26.  On Saturday, Cuesta jumped to a 14-point lead at Glendale early in the game and still held a six-point at halftime, 33-27.  However, after the break, the Vaqueros caught them at 37-all, just three minutes into the second half.  2023 All-WSC First Teamer Drew Ardouin's jumper gave the Cougars another seven-point lead going into the final ten minutes, but Glendale took back the lead with eight minutes on the clock, 50-49, and never let it go.  Ardouin and Freshman Forward Ethan Walker each netted 22 points to lead the Cougars, while Walker completed a double-double by also pulling down a season-high 17 rebounds.  The loss dropped the team to 5-11 on the season.