UC IRVINE GAME #7
UC Irvine (0-6) vs. University of San Diego (4-2)
Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011 – 7:05 p.m.
Bren Events Center (5,000) – Irvine, California
Series Record: San Diego leads 14-11
Last Meeting: UCI won 90-82 (12/1/10 in San Diego)
Radio: KUCI/88.9 FM (Mark Roberts, 18th Season, & Steve Henkle)
TOREROS INVADE THE BREN CENTER: Second-year head coach Russell Turner's UC Irvine squad hosts the University of San Diego in a non-conference game Saturday night at the Bren Center.
The 'Eaters are 0-6 on the season after falling to Southern Miss (78-67), Central Michigan (82-72) and Alaska-Anchorage (77-63) at the Great Alaska Shootout last week.
The Toreros are 4-2 overall after winning two of three games in the Hoops for Hope Classic in New Orleans.
FINALS NEXT WEEK: Next week marks fall-quarter final exams at UCI. The 'Eaters will return to competition Dec. 10 against Vanguard University at 7:00 p.m.
Following that game, UCI faces three tough opponents on the road in Wyoming Dec. 13, LSU Dec. 15 and UCLA Dec. 20.
STARRING SHINES IN ALASKA: UCI junior guard Daman Starring averaged 18.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals in three games at the Great Alaska Shootout last week.
Starring was 16 of 33 (.485) from the field, including 8 of 14 from three-point range. He hit 16 of 18 (.889) from the free-throw line in the tournament.
Starring, who has hit the 20-point mark in three of the last four games, leads the 'Eaters in scoring at 14.0 points per game. He also tops the team with eight steals and is shooting 52.2 percent (12 of 23) from three-point range.
Starring notched his UCI career-high of 21 points against Alaska-Anchorage and Weber State. Starring scored 27 points against Texas College as a redshirt freshman at Centenary (La.) College in the 2009-10 season.
WILDER HITS SEASON HIGH: Junior forward Michael Wilder scored a season-high 19 points in last Friday's 82-72 loss to Central Michigan at the Great Alaska Shootout.
He hit 5 of 11 threes in that game and is 14 of 42 (.333) on the season in treys.
Wilder is averaging 9.2 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. He tied his career high with three steals in the Nov. 19 loss to Weber State.
McNEALY WITH DOUBLE-DOUBLE: Sophomore guard Chris McNealy recorded his first career double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds last Thursday's 78-67 loss to Southern Miss at the Great Alaska Shootout. He tied his career high with three steals.
He had a career-high four assists in last Friday's loss to Central Michigan and had 10 in the three tournament games. McNealy and Aaron Wright are tied for the team lead with 15 assists on the year.
McNealy is averaging 8.8 points and 6.7 boards per game.
DAVIS LEADS ON THE BOARDS: Freshman post Will Davis II leads UCI in rebounding at 7.2 per game. Fifteen of his 28 rebounds have come on the offensive glass.
Davis, who is averaging 7.5 points, registered a career-high 11 boards in last Friday's loss to Central Michigan.
WRIGHT WITH THE HELPING HANDS: Freshman guard Aaron Wright had a career-high five assists in the loss to Central Michigan and he had nine for the tournament.
He scored 13 points in last Thursday's loss to Southern Miss and posted a career-high 14 in the 51-50 loss at San Jose State Nov. 14. He is averaging 7.3 points per game.
Wright has started the last two games and three total this season.
FLOWERS WITH FIRST START: Junior point guard Derick Flowers made his first UCI start in last Thursday's game against Southern Miss.
He came off the bench against Central Michigan and Alaska-Anchorage, averaging 8.5 points and 2.5 assists while hitting 6 of 10 field goals in those two games.
FOLKER ON THE 'O' BOARDS: Redshirt junior center Adam Folker, who missed the entire regular season last year due to injuries, has recorded 14 offensive rebounds of his season total of 24 boards. He is averaging 4.0 rebounds per game.
A LOOK AT SAN DIEGO: Fifth-year head coach Bill Grier's Toreros are 4-2 entering Saturday night's game.
San Diego defeated New Orleans, 64-56, and Alcorn State, 66-65, before falling to Tulane, 65-46, in the Hoops for Hope Classic in New Orleans this past weekend.
Freshman guard Johnny Dee leads the Toreros in scoring at 15.2 points per game, followed by junior forward Chris Manresa at 11.5 points per contest. Manresa leads the team in rebounding at 9.3 boards per game.
______________________________________________________________________
For UC Irvine Athletics ticket information, please call (949) 824-5000 or e-mail athletics.tickets@uci.edu. For more information click here.
For information on how you can help support UC Irvine Athletics, please call (949) 824-6933 or e-mail aaf@uci.edu. For additional information, click here.
You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
