THIS WEEK
Big West Conference Games
UC Santa Barbara at UC Irvine · Thursday, Jan. 3 · 7:00 p.m. PT · Bren Events Center
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Cal Poly at UC Irvine · Saturday, Jan. 5 · 4:00 p.m. PT · Bren Events Center
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QUICK HITS
UC Irvine opens up the Big West schedule hosting UC Santa Barbara Thursday (Jan. 3) at 7:00 p.m. and Cal Poly Saturday (Jan. 5) at 4:00 p.m. Both games will be played at the Bren Events Center.
Over the last 10 years, UCI is 2-8 In the first conference game of the year. The Anteaters last win to start league play was Jan. 5, 2011 with a 70-65 victory at Cal State Fullerton.
UCSB holds a 57-26 series advantage over the Anteaters. UCI won two of three games last year, but the Anteaters have won just three times in the last 24 meetings against the Gauchos.
The two teams last met in the quarterfinals of the Big West Tournament with the Gauchos winning the game 61-51. UCSB went on to win the Big West Tournament, beating Long Beach State in the championship game, 63-54
The Gauchos are 4-8 overall and are on a three-game losing streak.
UCI beat both UCSB and Cal Poly on the road last year, the first time the Anteaters swept the Central Coast since the 2005-06 season.
UCI snapped a 10-game losing streak versus Cal Poly with a 62-60 win in San Luis Obispo in the first meeting last year. The Mustangs took the second contest 76-63 in Irvine.
Cal Poly leads UCI, 27-17 in the series records all-time.
The Mustangs enter the week 6-5 overall and will visit Long Beach State before heading to Irvine.
As the teams begin Big West play, the squads are looking to advance to the Big West Tournament at the end of the regular season. The tournament starts at UC Irvine this year with first round and quarterfinal games on Mar. 12 and 13 at the Bren Events Center.
UCI is still looking for its first win at home (0-4).
UCI is 4-8 overall after closing out 2012 with a 66-52 victory over CSU Bakersfield on the road.
Junior forward Camille Buckley recorded her third double-double of the year with a career-high 19 points and 15 rebounds, scoring 17 of her team-best points in the second half.
Sophomore forward Methlyn Onogomuho had her first double-double of the year and second of her career with a season-high 12 points and career-best 11 rebounds.
Guard Jennifer Tsurumoto had 15 points, the seventh time she has recorded double figure points this year.
UCI out-rebounded Bakersfield 47-33, the fifth time this season the Anteaters have grabbed more rebounds than the opponent.
Tsurumoto leads the team in scoring (11.2) and assists (2.9). She also tops the squad, in minutes played, logging 32.0 per game.
Buckley leads the team in rebounding at 7.6 per game and is second in scoring at 10.7 points per game. Buckley leads the team from the free throw line with a .750 (36-48) mark.
UC Irvine was selected ninth in the Big West Preseason Media Poll. The Anteaters have finished higher than the pre-season poll prediction in each of the last four seasons.
