UC Irvine (4-4) at No. 20 Arizona (6-2)
Tuesday, December 6, 2016 – 7:00 p.m. (PT)
McKale Center (14,644) – Tucson, Ariz.
Series Record: UA leads 2-0
Last Meeting: UA won 71-54 (11/19/14 in Tucson)
Radio: KUCI/88.9 FM (Michael O'Sullivan)
TV: Pac-12 Networks (Ted Robinson & Don MacLean)
Audio / Video
'EATERS TAKE ON WILDCATS: UC Irvine (4-4) plays its fifth consecutive game away from home Tuesday night when the Anteaters take on No. 20 Arizona in Tucson.
Seventh-year head coach Russell Turner's UCI squad hosts Pomona-Pitzer Friday evening before heading back on the road for five more games, beginning Sunday at 12th-ranked Saint Mary's.
UCI-ARIZONA SERIES: Tuesday marks the third meeting in the UCI-Arizona series. The Wildcats have won the previous two matchups, both in Tucson, 93-70 (12/14/98) and 71-54 (11/19/14).
In the game two years ago, UCI led for most of the first 30 minutes, including 46-41 with 10:30 left, before then-No. 2 Arizona went on a 30-8 closing run.
Luke Nelson and Travis Souza led the 'Eaters with 11 points each while Rondae Hollis-Jefferson scored 19 for the Wildcats.
UCI WINS AT SANTA CLARA: UCI is coming off a 58-55 win at Santa Clara last Wednesday as 7-2 senior center Ioannis Dimakopoulos scored 15 points and freshman forward John Edgar Jr. added 13.
Dimakopoulos was 7 of 12 from the field and Edgar 5 of 6, including 3 of 3 from three-point range.
Sophomore forward Jonathan Galloway grabbed eight rebounds for UCI, which outrebounded the Broncos, 36-24. UCI's bench outscored Santa Clara's reserves, 29-2, and the Anteaters had a 26-14 margin in the paint.
MARTIN LEADS IN SCORING: Senior guard Jaron Martin leads UCI with averages of 13.8 points and 3.6 assists per game.
Martin has hit 13 threes this season and ranks 15th in Anteater history with 123 career treys.
Senior center Ioannis Dimakopoulos is averaging 11.4 points and has averaged 18.0 points and 6.5 rebounds in the last two games. He is 14 of 26 (.538) from the field in those games, including 4 of 7 on threes. Sophomore forward Jonathan Galloway leads the team in rebounding at 7.3 boards per game and also in total blocks (14).
Redshirt freshman guard Max Hazzard and true freshman guard Eyassu Worku are averaging 6.3 points each. Freshman forward Tommy Rutherford is averaging 5.5 points and 4.6 boards and freshman guard Evan Leonard 5.1 points.
UC IRVINE NOTES
● UC Irvine has won 61 of its last 64 games when holding the opposition to 60 points or less.
● The Anteaters have won 60 of their last 65 games when holding the opposition to under 40 percent from the field.
● Entering the week, UCI is seventh in the nation in field-goal percentage defense at .355.
● The Anteaters are 42nd nationally in scoring defense (62.9) and 60th in total blocks (37).
● UCI's last win over a ranked team was Nov. 19, 2005, when the Anteaters defeated No. 13 Stanford, 79-63, at Maples Pavilion. Darren Fells, a tight end for the NFL's Arizona Cardinals, had 18 points, nine rebounds and five assists for UCI in that game.
● UCI is facing tests on and off the court this week as fall-quarter final exams are underway at the University.
ON THIS DATE: Thirty years ago, Dec. 6, 1986, UCI defeated Oral Roberts, 92-91 in overtime, at Tulsa, Okla., as Frank Woods tipped in the game-winning basket at the buzzer.
Scott Brooks led the Anteaters with 22 points and Joe Buchanan recorded 17 points and eight assists. Woods and Mike Doktorczyk scored 14 points apiece.
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