GAME #18
UC Irvine (12-5, 1-0) vs. UC Riverside (9-8, 0-1)
Saturday, January 9, 2016 - 8:00 p.m.
Bren Events Center (5,000) - Irvine, California
Series Record: UCI leads 35-24
Last Meeting: UCI won 63-54 (3/12/15 in Anaheim)
Radio: KUCI/88.9 FM (Michael O'Sullivan & Steve Henkle)
TV: ESPNU (Kanoa Leahey & Richie Schueler)
Audio / Video / Live Stats / Tickets
ANTEATERS HOST HIGHLANDERS: UC Irvine (12-5, 1-0) hosts UC Riverside (9-8, 0-1) Saturday night in a Big West Conference game at the Bren Events Center that will be nationally televised on ESPNU.
Coach Russell Turner's Anteaters are coming off a 76-55 win over UC Davis Thursday as junior guard Luke Nelson scored 16 points and UCI held the Aggies to 30-percent shooting from the field.
UCI is enjoying a stretch of five out of eight games at home in January after playing 11 of its first 16 games away from Irvine, including a stretch of 10 out of 11 from Nov. 26-Dec. 29.
IN THE BREN EVENTS CENTER: UCI, 6-0 at home this season, has won 42 of its last 50 games (.840) in the Bren Events Center and is 236-152 all-time.
The Bren Center opened 29 years ago yesterday (Friday) when the 'Eaters defeated Utah State, 118-96, on the strength of 43 points by Scott Brooks Jan. 8, 1987.
UCI-UCR SERIES: This marks the 60th meeting in the series, with UCI leading 35-24.
The teams split last season with each winning on their home court, then UCI topped the Highlanders, 63-54, in the first round of the Big West Conference Tournament at the Honda Center March 12.
IN THE RANKINGS: UCI is ranked No. 18 in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll this week and is 53rd in the NCAA RPI as of Friday morning.
'EATERS TOP AGGIES: Junior guard Luke Nelson scored 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting (4 of 5 threes) as UC Irvine defeated UC Davis, 76-55, in the Big West Conference opener for both teams at the Bren Events Center Thursday night.
Junior center Mamadou Ndiaye added 11 points and six rebounds while senior guard Alex Young had 10 points, six boards and four assists.
Senior forward Mike Best scored nine points and grabbed six rebounds. Redshirt freshman forward Jonathan Galloway had seven points, five boards and two blocked shots, and junior center Ioannis Dimakopoulos also scored seven points and added a career-high three assists along with two rejections. Senior guard Aaron Wright tied his career high with four steals.
ON THIS DATE: On this date 10 years ago, Jan. 9, 2006, UCI defeated UC Santa Barbara, 70-66, at the Thunderdome in Santa Barbara.
Aaron Fitzgerald had 15 points and five assists while Ross Schraeder scored 14 points and Nic Campbell 13. UCI had just four turnovers in the win.
UC IRVINE NOTES
● UCI has won 54 of its last 56 games when holding the opposition to 60 points or less, including 6-0 in those games this season.
● UCI is 9-0 this season when the opposition shoots under 40 percent from the field.
● 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 previous three seasons are the most by any Big West school.
● In the NCAA statistics, through Thursday's games, Mamadou Ndiaye is seventh in total blocks with 44 and 18th in blocked shots per game (2.59). Alex Young ranks eighth in the nation in assist/turnover ratio (4.31).
● UCI ranks 25th nationally in field-goal percentage defense (.384) and 35th in scoring defense (64.1).
● In the Big West statistics entering Saturday, UCI ranks No. 1 in scoring defense (64.1), field-goal percentage defense (.384) and blocked shots (5.2).
● Alex Young leads the Big West in assist/turnover ratio (4.31) and Mamadou Ndiaye is first in blocked shots (2.59).
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