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UC IRVINE GAME #1
UC Irvine (0-0) vs. No. 24 California (0-0)
Friday, Nov. 11, 2011 – 7:30 p.m.
Haas Pavilion (11,877) – Berkeley, California
Series Record: Cal leads 4-2
Last Meeting: Cal won 65-57 (12/3/03 in Berkeley)
Radio: KUCI/88.9 FM (Mark Roberts, 18th Season)
UC IRVINE GAME #2
UC Irvine vs. San Jose State
Monday, Nov. 14, 2011 – 7:00 p.m.
The Event Center (5,000) – San Jose, California
Series Record: UCI leads 26-19
Last Meeting: SJSU won 85-70 (12/4/10 in Irvine)
Radio: KUCI/88.9 FM (Mark Roberts, 18th Season)
'EATERS OPEN SEASON IN BAY AREA: Second-year head coach Russell Turner's UC Irvine basketball team opens its 2011-12 regular-season schedule in the Bay Area.
UCI faces No. 24 California Friday night and San Jose State Monday evening.
The 'Eaters won both of their exhibition games last week, 66-54 over California Baptist and 84-63 over San Diego Christian College.
Freshman forward Will Davis II recorded double-doubles in both victories, averaging 11.5 points and 10.5 boards in the wins.
SEASON OPENERS: This is the 47th season of UC Irvine men's basketball. UCI is 20-26 in previous season openers, including a 79-65 loss at No. 13 Illinois last season.
The 'Eaters last win in a season opener was 74-61 over Loyola Marymount Nov. 9, 2007, in Irvine.
COACH TURNER FACES MENTOR: UCI second-year head coach Russell Turner will be facing one of his mentors in Cal's Mike Montgomery Friday night.
Turner served on Montgomery's staffs at Stanford (2000-04) and the NBA's Golden State Warriors (2004-06).
IN HIS FATHER'S STEPS: Sophomore guard Chris McNealy is the son of former San Jose State standout Chris McNealy. The elder McNealy was a two-time, All-PCAA (Big West) player for the Spartans in 1982 and 1983. He scored 20 points each in a pair of wins over UCI in 1983.
HOME OPENER VS. WEBER STATE: UCI's home opener is against Weber State Nov. 19 at 4:30 p.m. in the second game of a doubleheader with the women's team. Weber State has played in a postseason tournament each of the last three seasons.
THE BREN TURNS 25: January marks the 25th anniversary of the opening of the Bren Events Center on the UC Irvine campus. The center opened Jan. 8, 1987, when the 'Eaters defeated Utah State, 118-96, on the strength of 43 points by Scott Brooks.
UCI is 185-138 all-time in regular-season games at the Bren Center. The 'Eaters are 104-41 (.717) in the Bren dating back to February 2000. UCI was 9-6 at home last season.
A LOOK AT THE WIN OVER SAN DIEGO CHRISTIAN: A trio of freshmen led UC Irvine to an 84-63 victory over San Diego Christian College in an exhibition game at the Bren Events Center last Saturday night.
Freshman guard Collin Woods scored a game-high 16 points, 12 of them coming in the second half. He hit 7 of 8 free throws in the contest and converted a dazzling alley-oop slam from Derick Flowers in the final minute of play.
Freshman forward Will Davis II notched his second straight double-double with 13 points and 10 boards. He was 6 of 10 from the field and added two blocked shots.
Freshman guard Aaron Wright scored 10 points, hitting a pair of threes in the first half as UCI led 38-26 at the break.
Redshirt junior center Adam Folker saw his first action in exactly one year to the day as he recorded eight points and five rebounds. Folker missed the entire regular season last year due to injuries.
Junior guard Daman Starring had eight points and four assists while sophomore Chris McNealy also registered eight points for the 'Eaters, who shot 49.1 percent from the field in the game. UCI shot 55.6 percent from the floor in the second half.
Redshirt freshman Kevin Mulloy pulled down seven rebounds and scored five points, and junior Michael Wilder added six points.
UCI hit 28 of 38 free throws in the game, including 15 of 21 in the second half.
RECAP OF WIN OVER CAL BAPTIST: UCI capitalized on a 15-0 run late in the game in defeating California Baptist, 66-54, in an exhibition contest at the Bren Center Nov. 2.
Junior Michael Wilder scored 13 points, hitting four threes, and grabbed seven rebounds while freshman Will Davis II added 10 points and 11 boards in his collegiate debut. Seven of Davis' 11 rebounds were off the offensive glass and he also had two blocked shots.
Freshman guard Aaron Wright scored nine points off the bench. Sophomore Chris McNealy had six points and eight rebounds, Daman Starring had six points and five boards, and Marcus Bradley and Travis Souza also scored six points each.
ABOUT CALIFORNIA: The Golden Bears are ranked No. 24 in the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today Coaches' preseason polls.
Coach Mike Montgomery's team was 18-15 last season and advanced to the second round of the NIT.
Cal returns four starters, including 2011 first-team All-Pac-10 selection Jorge Gutierrez, a senior guard who averaged 14.6 points last season.
Sophomore guard Allen Crabbe was last season's Pac-10 Freshman of the Year after setting Cal's freshman record for three-point field goals with 62.
Gutierrez and Crabbe are included on the John Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 Watch List.
Cal won its only exhibition game, 88-53, over UC San Diego Nov. 1. Redshirt sophomore guard Justin Cobbs, a transfer from Minnesota, scored 17 points and Crabbe added 14, 12 in the second half.
Friday will be the first meeting between UCI and Cal since a 65-57 Bears' win in Berkeley Dec. 3, 2003.
ABOUT SAN JOSE STATE: Coach George Nessman's Spartans open their season at Cal Poly Saturday before hosting UCI Monday night.
San Jose State was 17-16 overall last season, including an 85-70 win over UCI at the Bren Center (12/4/10).
Sophomore guard Keith Shamburger is the Spartans' leading returning scorer, averaging 12.4 points last season.
Senior forward Wil Carter averaged 9.8 points and 8.0 rebounds in 2010-11.
The Spartans won their lone exhibition game, 78-50, over Notre Dame De Namur Nov. 4. Junior guard James Kinney led SJSU with 16 points and Shamburger added 12.
San Jose State has defeated UCI in the last three meetings.
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