Game #15
Long Beach State (6-10, 0-0) at UC Irvine (7-7, 0-0)
Thursday, January 8, 2015 – 7:30 p.m.
Bren Events Center (5,000) – Irvine, Calif.
Series Record: LBSU leads 55-37
Last Meeting: UCI won 61-58 (2/6/14 in Irvine)
Radio: KUCI/88.9 FM (Michael O'Sullivan & Steve Henkle)
TV: Prime Ticket (Mark Rogondino, Corey Maggette & Rahshaun Haylock)
Audio / Video / Live Stats / Tickets
BIG WEST BEGINS: Thursday night marks the Big West Conference opener for UC Irvine and Long Beach State as the teams meet at the Bren Events Center in a "Black & Blue" rivalry game.
The 49ers lead the series 55-37, but UCI has won the last four match-ups, including both games last season, 46-44 at Long Beach (1/9/14) and 61-58 in the Bren Events Center (2/6/14).
HIGHLANDERS HERE SATURDAY: The 'Eaters host UC Riverside Saturday night at 7:00 in a Big West game at the Bren Center (ESPN3).
IT'S A FINE LINE: UCI has lost four games by a total of nine points this season. The Anteaters are coming off a 70-67 loss at former Big West member New Mexico State last Saturday night.
Senior forward Will Davis II led the 'Eaters with a season-high 20 points and added eight rebounds and three blocked shots. Senior guard Travis Souza scored 14 points and junior guard Aaron Wright 11.
Other close losses have come at Saint Mary's (72-69), at Morgan State (63-62) and at Oregon (69-67, OT).
DEFEND THE BREN: The 'Eaters are 143-53 (.730) in the Bren Events Center dating back to February 2000. UCI has won 30 of its last 36 (.833) games in the Bren Center. The 'Eaters are 224-150 all-time in the Bren and 4-1 this season.
ANTEATER NOTES
● Senior forward Will Davis II has 692 career rebounds, as he moved past Kevin Magee for No. 7 all-time at UCI. Davis has 1,093 points to rank 22nd in the Anteater record book. He is UCI's career leader in blocked shots with 187. Davis is one of four UCI players averaging in double figures at 10.6 points per game and he leads the team in rebounding with a 5.7 average.
● Junior guard Alex Young is fourth in UCI history with 360 career assists and he has 25 in the last four games. He had a season-high eight assists in the Dec. 22 win over Green Bay and a career-high six steals in the Dec. 13 loss to UT Arlington, including five in the first 5:16 of the game. Young was named Most Outstanding Player of the South Point Holiday Hoops Classic in Las Vegas Dec. 21-22. He hit the game-winning jumper with 1.7 seconds left in the 72-70 championship win over Green Bay. Young also was named Big West Player of the Week after that performance.
● Young, who is averaging 10.9 points on the season, has averaged 13.0 points and 6.3 assists in the last four games. He leads UCI with 25 steals this season and ranks 18th in UCI history with 89 for his career.
● Sophomore guard Jaron Martin has made his first collegiate starts in the last six games, scoring in twin digits in four of those contests. Martin, who has hit 11 of 20 threes in the past six games, was named to the South Point Holiday Hoops All-Classic team in Las Vegas Dec. 21-22.
● Senior guard Travis Souza leads the 'Eaters with 29 threes on the season and has hit 16 of 29 in the past six games. He has 104 career threes to rank 16th in UCI history.
● Senior post John Ryan is 25 of 38 (.658) from the field in the last eight games and he is shooting 62.7 percent for the season. He leads UCI with 15 blocked shots.
● 7-6 sophomore center Mamadou Ndiaye, who leads UCI in scoring at 12.0 points per game, has missed the last nine games with a sprained foot and is expected to return to action soon. He is shooting 69.4 percent from the field.
● Sophomore guard Luke Nelson, who is averaging 11.1 points, has missed the last three games due to a facial injury sustained in practice. Nelson was Big West Conference Freshman of the Year last season.
● Junior guard Dominique Dunning recorded his first double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds in the Dec. 31 win over Hampden-Sydney. The 10 rebounds marked a career high, as did his three assists.
● Junior forward Mike Best scored a season-high 10 points, hitting 5 of 6 from the field, in the Dec. 31 win over Hampden-Sydney.
● Junior guard Aaron Wright scored a season-high 11 points in last Saturday's loss at New Mexico State and recorded a career-high four steals in the Dec. 29 loss at Oregon.
● Sophomore post Ioannis Dimakopoulos is 10 of 19 (.526) from the field in the last four games, averaging 5.0 points in that stretch.
● UCI won the title of the South Point Holiday Hoops Classic in Las Vegas Dec. 21-22, defeating Bradley, 55-47, and Green Bay, 72-70.
ON THIS DATE 28 YEARS AGO
● Twenty-eight years ago Thursday, the Bren Events Center opened (Jan. 8, 1987) when the Anteaters defeated Utah State, 118-96, on the strength of 43 points by Scott Brooks, current head coach of the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder.
● Brooks scored 29 of his points in the second half. Frank Woods (17 points, 12 rebounds) and Wayne Engelstad (17 points, 10 rebounds) each posted double-doubles.
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