● For all games, UCI leads the Big West in field-goal percentage defense (.395) and blocked shots per game (5.07). The Anteaters are second in scoring margin (+6.4), field-goal percentage (.470), three-point field-goal percentage (.407), scoring defense (62.4), rebounding margin (+1.7), assists per game (14.33) and assist/turnover ratio (1.18).
● Will Davis II leads the conference in field-goal percentage at .541. Jaron Martin (.481) and Travis Souza (.479) rank third and fourth in three-point field-goal percentage, and Luke Nelson is third in assists per game (4.00).
ANTEATER NOTES
● Dating back to Dec. 22, 2011, UC Irvine is 46-0 when holding the opposition to 60 points or less, including 13-0 this season.
● As of Friday, UCI ranks seventh in the nation in three-point field-goal percentage at .407, 30th in blocked shots per game (5.1), 34th in total blocked shots (137), 38th in field-goal percentage (.470) and 41st in field-goal percentage defense (.343).
● Senior forward Will Davis II is the third player in Big West history to reach 200 career blocks as he is UCI's career leader with 206. Davis is the sixth player in the 50-year history of UCI basketball to record 1,000 points and 700 rebounds. He is third in Anteater history with 788 rebounds and 10th with 1,288 points. Davis, who has recorded three 20-point games in the last five, has four double-doubles this season and 13 in his career. He ranks 44th in the nation in field-goal percentage at .541.
● Sophomore guard Luke Nelson has averaged 12.3 points and 5.7 assists in the last three games. He has seven assists in Thursday's win at Cal Poly and tied his career high with eight assists in the Feb. 19 win over Hawai'i. He ranks third in the Big West at 4.0 assists per game. Nelson scored a season-high 19 points against Saint Mary's and UT Arlington. He has been wearing a protective mask due to a facial injury sustained in practice in late December. Nelson was Big West Conference Freshman of the Year last season.
● Senior guard Travis Souza leads the 'Eaters with 57 threes on the season and has 132 for his career to tie Rod Palmer (1988-90) for 10th in UCI history. Souza tied his career with five treys in the Feb. 19 win over Hawai'i and scored a career-high 17 points in the Jan. 29 win over Cal Poly. He tied his career high with three steals in Thursday's win at Cal Poly.
● Junior guard Alex Young returned to action Thursday at Cal Poly after missing the previous four games due to a left-foot injury sustained in the UC Davis game Feb. 5. He is fourth in UCI history with 385 career assists. 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 Dec. 22. Young also was named Big West Player of the Week after that performance. He had a career-high six steals in the Dec. 13 loss to UT Arlington, including five in the first 5:16 of the game. He leads UCI with 32 steals this season and is 14th in UCI history with 96 for his career. Young has scored 885 career points.
● Sophomore post Ioannis Dimakopoulos made his first career start at Cal Poly Thursday, recording four points, two rebounds and two blocked shots. He scored a season-high 11 points in the Dec. 6 win over Sacramento State.
● 7-6 sophomore center Mamadou Ndiaye was back inaction Thursday after missing the previous 10 games with a foot injury. He had 11 points and six rebounds in 14 reserve minutes against Cal Poly Thursday. Ndiaye scored a career-high 21 points in the Nov. 29 win at Loyola Marymount, hitting 10 of 11 from the field.
● Sophomore guard Jaron Martin scored a career-high 19 points in last Saturday's win over CSUN and has averaged 12.0 points over the past four games. Martin scored a then-career high 16 points in the Jan. 10 win over UC Riverside and tied his career high with four threes in that game. Martin was named to the South Point Holiday Hoops All-Classic team in Las Vegas Dec. 21-22.
● Junior guard Aaron Wright is tied for second on the team with 22 steals, recording a career-high four in the Dec. 29 loss at Oregon. He tied his season high with five assists in the Feb. 7 win at LBSU and scored a season-high 11 points in the Jan. 3 loss at New Mexico State.
● Junior guard Dominique Dunning snared eight rebounds in 23 reserve minutes of the Feb. 19 win over Hawai'i. He recorded his first double-double with 11 points and a career-high 10 rebounds in the Dec. 31 win over Hampden-Sydney.
● Junior forward Mike Best started both games last week, averaging 3.0 points and 3.0 rebounds. He scored a season-high 10 points, hitting 5 of 6 from the field, in the Dec. 31 win over Hampden-Sydney.
● Senior post John Ryan, who has started 19 games this season, sustained an injury to his right foot at Riverside Feb. 14. He is shooting 56.6 percent from the field and leads the team with 33 blocked shots. He tied his career high with 10 rebounds in the Feb. 7 win at LBSU.
ON THIS DATE
● On this date 14 years ago, Feb. 28, 1991, UCI defeated San Jose State, 86-81, in overtime at the Bren Events Center.
● Jeff Herdman scored 21 points, Ricky Butler had 18 points, 12 rebounds and five blocked shots, and Jeff Von Lutzow scored 16 points. The Anteaters hit 25 of 34 free throws to the Spartans' 3 of 6.
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