GAME #12
UC Irvine (7-4) vs. Chapman (4-2)
Friday, December 18, 2015 – 7:00 p.m.
Bren Events Center (5,000) – Irvine, Calif.
Series Record: UCI leads 21-4
Last Meeting: UCI won 87-36 (11/14/14 in Irvine)
Audio / Video / Live Stats / Tickets
'EATERS HOST PANTHERS: UC Irvine (7-4) hosts Chapman (4-2) Friday night in the Anteaters' only home game this month.
The contest counts on UCI's record and is an exhibition game for the Panthers.
Coach Russell Turner's Anteaters defeated Chapman, 87-36, last season at the Bren Center on the strength of 18 points from Luke Nelson.
Last year's game was the first regular-season meeting between the two Orange County universities since Dec. 14, 1982, when Bill Mulligan's UCI squad defeated the Panthers, 104-88, at Crawford Hall. Chapman's coach that night was Walt Hazzard, the late grandfather of current UCI freshman guard Max Hazzard.
IN THE BREN EVENTS CENTER: UCI, 3-0 at home this season, has won 39 of its last 47 games (.830) in the Bren Events Center and is 233-152 all-time.
The Bren Events Center opened Jan. 8, 1987, when the 'Eaters defeated Utah State, 118-96, on the strength of 43 points by Scott Brooks.
ROAD SPLIT: UCI is coming off a split on the road, defeating former Big West rival Utah State, 73-63, last Saturday and losing to Oregon, 78-63, Tuesday.
Junior center Mamadou Ndiaye averaged 16.0 points and 12.0 rebounds in the two games, and junior guard Luke Nelson averaged 15.0 points and 4.5 assists.
Ndiaye has recorded four consecutive double-doubles.
UC IRVINE NOTES
● Mamadou Ndiaye was named Big West Conference Player of the Week after recording 17 points, 14 rebounds and four blocked shots in last Saturday's win at Utah State. The 14 boards tied his career high.
● Coach Russell Turner's Anteaters are No. 18 in the latest CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll. Gonzaga is first and UALR second.
● UCI has won 50 of its last 52 games when holding the opposition to 60 points or less. The Anteaters are 2-0 in those games this season.
● UCI senior guard Alex Young is the 25th player in Anteater history to reach 1,000 career points as he enters Friday night's game with 1,041, including a season-high 20 at Utah State last Saturday.
● Young ranks second all-time at UCI with 464 assists, just 11 behind Raimonds Miglinieks, who registered 475 assists in his Anteater career.
● Young, in his third year as a team captain, is seventh in UCI history with 116 steals. He had a career-high nine rebounds in the Nov. 23 win over Santa Clara.
● Junior guard Luke Nelson is tied for eighth (with Scott Brooks and Travis Souza) in Anteater history with 142 threes and he is 15th with 263 assists. Nelson has scored 838 career points.
● Junior center Mamadou Ndiaye has 160 blocked shots and is shooting 67 percent from the field in his UCI career. His 160 rejections are tied for sixth in Big West Conference history.
● Ndiaye and Nelson scored 15 points each in Tuesday's loss at Oregon.
● Ndiaye pulled down a career-high 14 rebounds in wins at Utah State (12/12) and Pacific (12/4).
● Russell Turner, in his sixth season as UCI's head coach, needs three wins to reach 100 in his tenure with the Anteaters.
● In the NCAA statistics, through Wednesday's games, Mamadou Ndiaye is seventh in total blocks with 29 and Alex Young ranks 2th in the nation in assist/turnover ratio (3.85).
● UCI ranks 49th nationally in assist/turnover ratio (1.37).
BACK ON THE ROAD: UCI competes in the Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational Monday and Tuesday in El Paso, Texas.
The 'Eaters face Sam Houston State Monday at 4:00 p.m. (PT) and will meet either UTEP or Norfolk State Tuesday.
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