GAME #17
UC Irvine (11-5, 0-0) vs. UC Davis (5-8, 0-0)
Thursday, January 7, 2016 – 7:30 p.m.
Bren Events Center (5,000) – Irvine, California
Series Record: UCI leads 20-14
Last Meeting: UC Davis won 80-61 (3/7/15 in Davis)
Radio: KUCI/88.9 FM (Michael O'Sullivan & Steve Henkle)
TV: PRIME TICKET (Mark Rogondino, Corey Maggette & Rahshaun Haylock)
Audio / Live Stats / Tickets
ANTEATERS, AGGIES MEET THURSDAY: Thursday night marks a meeting of last season's two Big West Conference title-holders as league tournament champion UC Irvine (11-5) hosts UC Davis (5-8), which won the regular-season title.
Coach Russell Turner's Anteaters play four of their first seven conference games at home. UC Riverside visits the Bren Events Center Saturday night at 8:00 (ESPNU).
Eleven of UCI's first 16 games this season have been away from Irvine, including a stretch of 10 out of 11 from Nov. 26-Dec. 29.
IN THE RANKINGS: UCI is ranked No. 18 in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll this week and is 47th in the NCAA RPI as the highest-ranked Big West school. UC Santa Barbara is 50th, Hawai'i 80th and Long Beach State 84th.
IN THE BREN EVENTS CENTER: UCI, 5-0 at home this season, has won 41 of its last 49 games (.837) in the Bren Events Center and is 235-152 all-time.
The Bren Center opened 29 years ago Friday (Jan. 8, 1987) when the 'Eaters defeated Utah State, 118-96, on the strength of 43 points by Scott Brooks.
UCI-UC DAVIS SERIES: UCI leads the series 20-14, but the Aggies swept both games last season, 75-56 at the Bren Center (2/5/15) and 80-61 at Davis (3/7/15).
Prior to last season, the Anteaters had won seven straight meetings in the series.
'EATERS EDGE NEW MEXICO STATE: Mike Best's left-side jumper with 19.3 seconds remaining lifted UCI over former Big West member New Mexico State, 54-52, at the Bren Center Saturday night.
The Anteaters scored the final eight points of the game to claim the win. After Pascal Siakam's jumper with 2:58 left put New Mexico State up 52-46, Best scored with 2:40 remaining and Alex Young hit a jumper at the 2:08 mark to draw the 'Eaters within 52-50.
Young then tipped in a missed shot with 1:07 left to tie the game at 52-52 before Best connected for the game-winner off a feed from Young. A final three-point attempt by the Aggies fell short as time expired.
Young led UCI with 17 points, five rebounds, four steals and three assists.
ON THIS DATE: On this date 32 years ago, UCI defeated Long Beach State, 82-67, in a Pacific Coast Athletic Association (Big West Conference) game at Crawford Hall Jan. 7, 1984
Bob Thornton and George Turner scored 22 points each for the Anteaters, who shot 62 percent from the field.
UC IRVINE NOTES
● The Anteaters' 11 non-conference victories this season are the most for the program since Bill Mulligan's 1981-82 team won 12.
● UCI's 35 conference wins over the past three seasons are the most by any Big West school.
● In the NCAA statistics, through Tuesday's games, Mamadou Ndiaye is sixth in total blocks with 43 and 17th in blocked shots per game (2.69). Alex Young ranks 10th in the nation in assist/turnover ratio (4.12).
● UCI ranks 36th nationally in field-goal percentage defense (.388) and 45th in scoring defense (64.6).
● In the Big West statistics entering the week, UCI ranked No. 1 in scoring defense (64.6), field-goal percentage defense (.388) and blocked shots (5.1).
● Alex Young leads the Big West in assist/turnover ratio (4.12) and Mamadou Ndiaye is first in blocked shots (2.7).
● Sixth-year head coach Russell Turner earned career win No. 100 with the Anteaters in UCI's 80-62 victory over Norfolk State Dec. 22 to claim the championship of the Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational in El Paso, Texas.
● UCI has won 53 of its last 55 games when holding the opposition to 60 points or less, including 5-0 in those games this season.
● UCI is 8-0 this season when the opposition shoots under 40 percent from the field.
● Senior point guard Alex Young is UCI's career leader in assists with 479 as he recently passed the previous mark of 475 held by Raimonds Miglinieks. Young is the active Big West career leader with his 479 assists.
● Young, in his third year as a team captain, is tied for fourth in UCI history with 123 steals and tied for 18th with 97 threes. He had a career-high nine rebounds in the Nov. 23 win over Santa Clara.
● Young is the 25th player in Anteater history to reach 1,000 career points as he currently has 1,072, which ranks 24th in the UCI record book. He scored a season-high 20 points in the 73-63 win at Utah State Dec. 12.
● Junior center Mamadou Ndiaye, in his UCI career, has 174 blocked shots and is shooting 68 percent from the field in his UCI career. His 174 rejections rank fifth in Big West Conference history.
● Junior guard Luke Nelson is eighth in Anteater history with 150 threes and is tied for 13th with 277 assists. Nelson has scored 889 career points.
● Senior forward Mike Best, who averaged 3.4 points and 2.2 rebounds last season, is averaging 8.4 points and 4.0 boards this season.
● Junior post Ioannis Dimakopoulos was 6 of 10 from the field in last week's games against Kansas and New Mexico State.
● Senior guard Aaron Wright has averaged 4.3 rebounds over the last four games.
● Senior Dominique Dunning has 10 assists and just one turnover in 66 minutes over his last four games.
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