GAME #28
UC Irvine (18-9, 9-2) at Cal State Northridge (13-15, 5-7)
Saturday, February 22, 2014 – 7:30 p.m.
The Matadome (1,600) – Northridge, California
Series Record: UCI leads 28-23
Last Meeting: UCI won 72-66 (1/23/14 in Irvine)
Radio: KUCI/88.9 FM (Mark Roberts, 20th Season)
TV: FOX PRIME TICKET (Mark Rogondino, Michael Cage, Rahshaun Haylock)
Audio / Live Stats / UCI Game Notes
UC IRVINE TAKES ON MATADORS SATURDAY NIGHT
● UC Irvine, 18-9 overall and 9-2 to lead the Big West Conference, travels to Cal State Northridge Saturday night. Following Saturday's game, UCI has three of its last four league games at home, beginning Thursday night against UC Santa Barbara.
● Fourth-year head coach Russell Turner's Anteaters have won five straight and 11 of their last 13 games. UCI is coming off a 60-56, overtime win at Hawai'i Thursday night as four Anteater players scored in double figures. It was the second time this season that UCI and the 'Bows went to overtime, with each team winning on the other's home court.
● UCI has won 14 of its last 17 Big West games dating back to Feb. 13 of last year.
● UCI's 18-9 record is the program's best overall mark after 27 games in 11 years, since the 2002-03 team was 19-8. The 9-2 conference record is the best for the Anteaters since the 2005-06 team was also 9-2 after 11 league games.
● UCI is 9-5 on the road this season, the most road victories for the program since the 2000-01 team was 10-2. The 'Eaters are 5-1 on the road in Big West games this season, UCI's best mark since the 2005-06 squad was 6-1 in league road games.
● This is the 52nd meeting in the series between UCI and CSUN with UCI holding a 28-23 edge. The 'Eaters have won four of the past five meetings, including 72-66 at the Bren Center Jan. 23. Luke Nelson's 14 points and 12 from Chris McNealy led four UCI players in double figures. Mamadou Ndiaye, UCI's 7-6 freshman center, had 10 points, 10 rebounds and seven blocked shots. Stephen Maxwell led the Matadors with a game-high 21 points. The 'Eaters led by as many as 18 points in the first half and held off CSUN down the stretch.
UC IRVINE NOTES
● Defense has been primary to UCI's success as the 'Eaters are 17-0 overall and 9-0 in Big West games when holding the opposition to under 40-percent shooting from the field. The 'Eaters limited Hawai'i to 29.6-percent shooting Thursday. UCI is first in the Big West in league games in scoring defense with a 60.1 average allowed.
● UCI is 12-0 when limiting the opposition to less than 60 points and 15-3 when outrebounding its opponents.
● UCI remained 21st in this week's CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll. UC Santa Barbara is ranked No. 13 and Wichita State remains No. 1 in the poll.
● As of Friday, of 345 teams ranked, UCI is fifth in the nation in field-goal percentage defense (.378), seventh in blocked shots per game (6.4), ninth in assists per game (16.5) and 35th in field-goal percentage (.474).
● For all games, the 'Eaters rank first in the Big West in field-goal percentage (.474), field-goal percentage defense (.378), assists per game (16.4) and blocked shots per game (6.4). UCI is second in the league in rebounding margin (+3.6) and in assist/turnover ratio (1.29).
● 7-6 freshman center Mamadou Ndiaye, the nation's tallest player, ranks seventh in the nation with 84 total blocks and he is ninth in the country in blocked shots per game with an average of 3.27. His 85 blocks this season are three shy of the single-season school record of 88 set by teammate Will Davis II last season. The Big West Conference single-season record is 89 blocked shots by UCSB's Eric McArthur in 1989-90.
● Freshman guard Luke Nelson leads UCI in scoring at 12.1 points and with 56 threes for all games. He is averaging 12.9 points in league play. Nelson, last week's Big West Player of the Week, scored a career-high 28 points in the Feb. 6 win over Long Beach State and hit the go-ahead basket in the come-from-behind win at UC Davis Feb. 8.
● Senior guard Chris McNealy has scored 1,134 points in his career to rank 20th in UCI history. He has 492 career rebounds as he looks to become the 17th player in Anteater history to record 1,000 points and 500 rebounds.
● McNealy ranks 11th at UCI with 122 career threes, 12th in steals (98) and 13th with 270 assists.
● Junior forward Will Davis II leads UCI in rebounding at 6.4 boards per game and he is averaging 10.3 points. He ranks second in the Big West in field-goal percentage at .578 for all games.
● Davis is UCI's career leader in blocked shots with 167, including a school single-season record 88 last year. He ranks 17th in school history with 561 rebounds and he has scored 839 points in his UCI career.
● Sophomore point guard Alex Young has 55 assists in the last 10 games and he leads UCI with 122. He is second in the Big West in assists (5.18 per game) for league games. He tied his career high with nine assists against Cal State Fullerton Jan. 16. After just 64 career games, Young ranks 14th in UCI history with 266 assists.
ABOUT CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE
● The Matadors, under first-year head coach Reggie Theus, are 13-15 overall and 5-7 in the Big West.
● Junior forward Stephen Maxwell leads Cal State Northridge in scoring (17.5) and rebounding (8.8).
● Junior swingman Stephan Hicks is averaging 16.6 points and 7.1 boards.
● Senior Josh Greene is averaging 15.3 points and he has hit 63 threes for the season.
● CSUN ranks fourth in the nation in free-throw percentage at .774.
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