UC Irvine (0-2) at
Utah State (2-0)
Date: Thursday, Nov. 17
Time: 11 a.m. (MT) / 10 a.m. (PT)
Location: Dee Glen Smith Spectrum (10,270) - Logan, Utah
Watch | Live Stats

UC Irvine (0-2) at
Idaho State (0-2)
Date: Saturday, Nov. 19
Time: 7 p.m. (MT) / 6 p.m. (PT)
Location: Reed Gym (3,040) - Pocatello, Idaho
Live Stats

UC Irvine Game Notes

The UC Irvine women's basketball team is back on the road for two games this week, starting with a trip to Logan, Utah, where it will square off against Utah State. The 'Eaters and Aggies are set for an early tip-off at 11 a.m. (MT)/10 a.m. (PT) on Thursday, Nov. 17. UCI then makes its way to Pocatello, Idaho, for a 7 p.m. (MT)/6 p.m. (PT) showdown at Idaho State on Saturday, Nov. 19.

TIP-INS
• Head coach Tamara Inoue is in her first season at the helm of the UC Irvine women's basketball program.
• Inoue inherited eight letterwinners and brought in four newcomers for the 2016-17 campaign.
• Despite falling to Saint Louis, 79-69, UCI scored its most points in a season opener since 2011-12.
• The 'Eaters are tied for second in the Big West with 32 turnovers forced, and are tied for third in threes made (9).
• Over the first two games, senior Shereen Sutherland is averaging a team-best 13.0 points and 5.0 rebounds.
• Sophomore Andee Ritter and senior Mckenzie Piper are tied for the team lead with four 3-pointers made.

LAST TIME OUT: UC Irvine struggled against the height of Gonzaga as the 'Eaters dropped a 102-38 decision in front of 5,186 fans Sunday at McCarthey Athletic Center. UCI was unable to find its rhythm against a roster that featured six players over 6-foot tall. The Anteaters were held to 20.3 percent shooting and were outrebounded, 55-28. The Zags also had nine blocks and got hot from behind the arc where they were 15-for-36 (41.7 percent).

UCI was led by junior Teirra Hicks, who finished with nine points and four rebounds. Senior Shereen Sutherland added eight points, while freshman Brooke Bayman had seven. Sophomore Andee Ritter and senior Mckenzie Piper tied for the team lead with five rebounds each. Ritter also contributed three steals as the 'Eaters forced 13 turnovers.

A GLANCE AT UTAH STATE: Utah State (2-0), which is in the middle of a four-game homestand, opened the season with a 72-49 win over Westminster and a 64-56 victory against Montana State. Sophomore guard Rachel Brewster leads the Aggies with 14.5 points per outing, while freshman forward Shannon Dufficy is averaging a double-double (10.5 ppg, 11.5 rpg). USU, which returns eight letterwinners and two starters from last year's team, was picked to finish ninth in the Mountain West Conference Preseason Poll.

SERIES RECORD VS. USU: UC Irvine leads in its all-time series with former Big West member Utah State, 7-3. The Anteaters have won three of the last four, including a 71-70 victory in the most recent meeting in Logan, Utah, on Dec. 18, 2012.

SCOUTING THE BENGALS: Idaho State (0-2) started the 2016-17 campaign with a pair of road losses, falling at Santa Clara, 82-78, and at No. 25 Oregon State, 61-38. Freshman guard Estefania Ors has paced the Bengals with 17.0 points per game. Sophomore guard Grace Kenyon is also averaging 10.0 points and a team-best 6.5 rebounds per contest. ISU was picked to finish sixth in the Big Sky Preseason Poll.

SERIES RECORD VS. ISU: UCI trails in its all-time series with Idaho State, 4-1. The Bengals have won the last four, but the two teams have not faced each other in 12 years. The most recent meeting was on Nov. 30, 2004, when ISU ran away with a 93-73 victory in Pocatello. The Anteaters' lone win came in 1986.

NEW ERA BEGINS: After two-straight losing seasons, UC Irvine has begun a new era under first-year head coach Tamara Inoue. Inoue is no stranger to success as she spent the last five years on the coaching staff at New Mexico State where she helped the Aggies make back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances. Over her last two seasons as an associate head coach, NM State went 48-13 and won a pair of Western Athletic Conference championships. Inoue also brings in first-year assistants Cecilia Russell-Nava, Krystle Evans and Ebony Haliburton, along with director of operations Amanda Delgado, to round out the 2016-17 'Eater staff.

EARLY CHALLENGES: The Anteaters have faced a couple of tough opponents as they started the season by taking on two teams that were receiving votes in the national preseason polls. Saint Louis (Atlantic-10) came in at No. 36 in the Associated Press Poll, and Gonzaga (West Coast Conference) was 46th in the USA Today Coaches' Poll. The Bulldogs were also ranked fifth in the College Insider Mid-Major Poll. In addition, both teams were predicted to win their respective conferences.

MOVING FORWARD: Although UC Irvine fell to Saint Louis in its season opener, there were several positives taken away from that game. After averaging 56.5 points per outing last year, the 'Eaters put up 69, while shooting 43 percent from the field, against the Billikens. It marked the most points for UCI in a season opener since it dropped 76 vs. Portland State in 2011-12. The Anteaters also won the battle in the paint (35-34) and forced 19 turnovers.

FREQUENT FLYERS: UC Irvine opened the 2016-17 campaign at home, but is now in the midst of a season-long seven-game road trip. During that stretch, the Anteaters will visit five different states with Gonzaga (Nov. 13), Utah State (Nov. 17), Idaho State (Nov. 19), Nevada (Dec. 1) and Portland State (Dec. 3) on the schedule. UCI also makes its fourth consecutive appearance in the LMU Thanksgiving Classic, Nov. 25-26.

DEFEND THE BREN: The 'Eaters will be rewarded for their early travels as they close out their non-conference slate with six-straight home games. Overall, they are set to play 15 contests in the friendly confines of the Bren Events Center. To preview head coach Tamara Inoue's first season, the UC Irvine Athletics Department is pleased to offer complimentary admission to all women's basketball games for the 2016-17 regular season.

FUTURE 'EATERS: UC Irvine signed five prep standouts to National Letters of Intent during the early signing period. Tahlia Garza (6-2, Center, Archbishop Mitty HS), Dani Guglielmo (5-9, Guard, Archbishop Mitty HS), Jordan Sanders (5-11, Forward, Kickapoo HS), Alexus Seaton (5-10, Point Guard, Arlington Heights HS) and Haleigh Talbert (5-4, Guard, Euless Trinity HS) will join the 'Eaters in 2017-18. Garza is the 16th-ranked recruit in the nation at her position.

UP NEXT: UC Irvine will make its fourth-straight appearance in the LMU Thanksgiving Classic next weekend. The 'Eaters are set to face host Loyola Marymount on Friday, Nov. 25, before battling Fresno State in a neutral-site match-up on Saturday, Nov. 26.