GAME #8
UC Irvine (4-3) at Sacramento State (2-2)
Saturday, November 30, 2013 – 7:00 p.m.
The Nest (1,200) – Sacramento, Calif.
Series Record: Sacramento State leads 2-1
Last Meeting: UCI won 81-69 (12/4/04 in Irvine)
Radio: KUCI/88.9 FM (Mark Roberts, 20th Season)
Audio / Video / Live Stats
LIFE ON THE ROAD BEGINS
● UC Irvine plays six of its next seven games on the road, beginning Saturday night at Sacramento State. The Anteaters are at Cal on Monday evening.
● Fourth-year head coach Russell Turner's UCI squad (4-3) has won four of its past five games. The 'Eaters went 2-1 in hosting the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Wounded Warrior Project Irvine Subregional last weekend. UCI opened with an 84-64 win over LIU Brooklyn, lost to Boston University, 74-68, and defeated Eastern Washington, 81-58.
● Last Sunday's win over EWU marked Coach Turner's 50th victory at UCI. He recently received a contract extension through the 2017-18 season.
● Junior forward Will Davis II was named MVP of the 2K Sports Classic Irvine Subregional. He averaged 11.3 points and 8.0 rebounds, plus added five blocked shots and five assists. Sophomore guard Alex Young was selected to the all-tournament team.
● 7-6 freshman center Mamadou Ndiaye broke his own UCI single-game record with 10 blocked shots in Sunday's win over Eastern Washington. His previous record was nine in the Nov. 14 victory at Washington.
● Freshman guard Luke Nelson, who scored 19 points in Sunday's win over Eastern Washington, averaged 12.0 points in the Classic. He was 5 of 7 on threes against EWU.
● Saturday night marks just the fourth meeting between UCI and Sacramento State. The Hornets won the first two encounters: 82-59 on Dec. 30, 1976 at the Boise State Classic and 64-56 on Dec. 20, 2003 in Sacramento. UCI won the last meeting, 81-69, at the Bren Center Dec. 4, 2004. Senior post Greg Ethington scored a career-high 24 points in the UCI win and junior Ross Schraeder added 14 points.
UC IRVINE NOTES
● UCI had a season-low six turnovers in last Sunday's 81-58 win over Eastern Washington.
● The Anteaters are shooting 50.9 percent from the field, which ranked 27th nationally entering the week. UCI ranked sixth nationally in assists per game (20.3), 14th in assist/turnover ratio (1.71) and 33rd in blocked shots per game (6.3).
● UCI is holding its opponents to 40.7 percent from the field, including three games where the opposition has shot under 40 percent. The Anteaters limited Eastern Washington to just 30 percent last Sunday.
● After shooting just 54 percent from the free-throw line in the season's first three games, the 'Eaters have hit 75 percent of their foul shots in the past four contests.
● UCI is +7.0 in rebounding margin, 41.4 to 34.4.
● Entering the week, 7-6 freshman center Mamadou Ndiaye, the nation's tallest player, ranked first nationally in total blocks (26) and 19th in blocked shots per game (3.71).
● Junior forward Will Davis II ranked 42nd in the nation in field-goal percentage at .623.
● UCI ranks first in the Big West Conference in field-goal percentage, three-point field goal percentage (.405), assists per game (20.3), and blocked shots per game (6.3).
● Mamadou Ndiaye is first in the league in blocked shots per game (3.71).
● Will Davis II ranks second in the conference in field-goal percentage (.623) and fourth in rebounds per game (7.7).
● Sophomore guard Alex Young is second in the Big West in assists per game (4.43) and third in assist/turnover ratio (3.10).
ABOUT SACRAMENTO STATE
● Sixth-year head coach Brian Katz's Hornets are 2-2 on the season following a 73-67 win at UC Davis last Tuesday.
● Junior guard Dylan Garrity leads Sacramento State in scoring at 15.3 points per game.
● Junior guard Mikh McKinney is averaging 14.3 points while sophomore guard Cody Demps leads the team in rebounding with a 6.3 average.
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