UC Irvine (13-8, 5-2 Big West) at
Cal State Fullerton (7-13, 2-5 Big West)
Date: Wednesday, Jan. 31
Time: 7 p.m. (PST)
Location: Titan Gym (4,000) - Fullerton, Calif.
Watch on ESPN3 // Live Stats

UC Irvine Game Notes

The UC Irvine women's basketball team has two ESPN3 games on tap for this week, starting with a 7 p.m. match-up at Cal State Fullerton on Wednesday, Jan. 31. Tim Becwar (play-by-play) and Richie Schueler (analyst) will be on the call.
 
TIP-INS
• Since Nov. 30, UC Irvine is 11-3, tying UC Davis for the best current 14-game stretch in the Big West.
• UCI (13-8) has surpassed its win total from each of the last three years.
• The Anteaters have reached double digits in the win column for the first time since 2013-14.
• At 5-2, the 'Eaters are tied for second in the Big West standings and are off to their best conference start in six years.
• UCI Irvine ranks among the top-three in the league in scoring offense, free throw percentage, turnover margin and steals.
• UCI has held its opponents to eight single-digit quarters, including a program-record three-point period at Bakersfield (2Q).
• Two of those single-digit quarters came in a 56-47 win over CSUN. The 47 points allowed were a season low for the 'Eaters.
• Jordan Sanders became the fourth Anteater with a 20-point effort as she netted a season-high 22 vs. the Matadors.
• Sanders also had 11 rebounds (first career double-double), four blocks, three steals and no turnovers.
• Morgan Green picked up Big West Player of the Week honors following just her second and third games of the season.
• UCI has a new look this year with 10 newcomers (five true freshmen and five returning redshirts).
 
BALANCED ATTACK
• Eleven of UC Irvine's 14 players are averaging at least 10 minutes per contest.
• Ten Anteaters have also scored at least 100 points this year with eight averaging more than 5.0 per outing.
• All but two 'Eaters have led the team in scoring in a game this season.
 
WITH A WIN VS. CAL STATE FULLERTON...
• UC Irvine would improve to 6-2 in Big West play, marking its best conference start since going 7-1 in 1994-95.
• UCI would notch its seventh true road victory, matching the most road wins in program history (last reached in 2000-01).
• The 'Eaters would earn their fourth-straight triumph for their longest win streak of the season, and longest since 2012-13.

SCOUTING THE TITANS
Cal State Fullerton (7-13, 2-5 Big West) has lost four in a row, most recently falling at UC Davis, 67-53, and against Cal Poly, 72-63. Hannah Thompson has been the Titans' primary offensive threat as she is tops on the squad in scoring (12.7 ppg) and 3-pointers made (51). Daeja Smith has also registered 12.0 points and a team-best 9.0 rebounds per contest, while Jade Vega is averaging 11.4 points and 3.5 assists per outing.
 
SERIES RECORD VS. CSF
This will be the 76th all-time meeting between UC Irvine and Cal State Fullerton. The Anteaters have a chance to even up the series, which dates back to 1980, as the Titans enter Wednesday's match-up with the slight 38-37 edge. The two teams earned a split last year with UCI falling on the road, 64-53, before picking up a 69-62 win at the Bren Events Center.
 
AROUND THE BIG WEST
At the halfway point of conference play, UC Irvine is tied for second in the Big West with Cal Poly as both teams are 5-2 in conference play. They are two games back of unbeaten league leader UC Davis, and one ahead of both CSUN and UC Santa Barbara, who are tied for fourth. UC Riverside (3-5), Cal State Fullerton (2-5), Hawai'i (2-6) and Long Beach State (0-6) round out the bottom half of the standings.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Freshman Jordan Sanders had the best game of her young career as she helped UC Irvine pull away in the fourth quarter of a 56-47 victory over CSUN last Saturday at the Bren Events Center. The 'Eaters outscored the Matadors, 17-7, over the final 10 minutes, and Sanders provided the late spark with 10 of her season-high 22 points coming during that stretch. The Springfield, Mo., native also had 11 rebounds for her first career double-double, while adding a season-best four blocks and three steals. She did not commit a turnover and finished the day shooting 61.1 percent (11-of-18) from the field.
 
Junior Morgan Green had another impressive stat line with 16 points, seven assists, three steals and no turnovers. Sophomore Lauren Saiki chipped in 11 points (4-9 FG), four rebounds and four steals, while junior Deijah Blanks pulled down five boards. In her first game back since Jan. 4, junior Andee Ritter contributed four rebounds and four assists. As a team, the Anteaters committed a season-low seven turnovers and forced the Matadors into 19 (13 steals).
 
SEEING GREEN
Morgan Green, who made her long-awaited UC Irvine debut on Jan. 4, has reached double figures in all seven games she has played, and is averaging a team-best 21.7 points per contest. She had four-straight 20-point performances from Jan. 11-20, marking the longest streak by an Anteater since Mikah Maly-Karros reached the 20-point mark in six consecutive outings in 2010.
 
Green, a junior transfer from Michigan State, started her run by pouring in a career-high 31 points on 9-of-15 shooting (5-9 3FG, 8-9 FT) at Hawai'i. She added five rebounds and five steals against the Rainbow Wahine. Less than 24 hours after arriving back on the mainland, Green dropped 25 points in a 77-74 win over UC Santa Barbara. She kept rolling the following week with 24 points on a career-best six threes made at Cal Poly, and 27 points in the second meeting with the 'Bows.
 
WEEKLY HONORS
Morgan Green was named the Big West Women's Basketball Player of the Week on Jan. 15, making her the first 'Eater to win the award since Mokun Fajemisin in February of 2015. Green was recognized after averaging 28.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.0 steals and 1.5 assists in wins over Hawai'i and UC Santa Barbara. The San Jose native was also tabbed the College Sports Madness Big West Player of the Week for her effort, an honor teammate Andee Ritter earned last year (Jan. 2, 2017).
 
JORDAN EFFECT
The 'Eaters are 9-0 when freshman Jordan Sanders scores at least 10 points. Last week, she had a pair of double-figure outings, starting with a 17-point effort in an 81-71 victory at UC Riverside. The Springfield, Mo., native then broke out with 22 points, 11 rebounds, four blocks and three steals in a 56-47 win over CSUN. It was Sanders' first career double-double, and she made the feat even more impressive by not committing a turnover in 29 minutes played. In the team's 13 wins, Sanders is averaging 11.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.4 steals, and 1.2 blocks, while shooting 48.8 percent from the field.

THE CLOSER
Junior Deijah Blanks has been UCI's go-to player in clutch situations. It started in the season opener when she banked in a half-court shot at the final buzzer to give the 'Eaters an 87-84 victory over Utah State. Blanks also made the game-winning free throw with two seconds remaining to secure a 75-74 triumph against Pepperdine. The San Diego native then hit a game-tying jumper in the final 10 seconds before getting to the charity stripe with 0.2 ticks on the clock to seal a 67-65 win at SDSU. Although her late heroics weren't needed in an 84-79 victory at Seattle, Blanks finished with a season-best 22 points, while making some key plays down the stretch to stymie a late Redhawk rally. She went on to notch her second 20-point game at Hawai'i (Jan. 11).
 
CHART CLIMBER
Junior Andee Ritter has made a team-best 24 3-pointers in 15 games played (1.6/gm). She has moved up four spots on UC Irvine's all-time charts this year, most recently passing Megan Stafford for fifth with 125 career triples. Ritter is 13 away from cracking the top-three and is ultimately chasing Kathy Lizarraga (1988-92), who owns the school record at 198. Ritter already broke Lizarraga's 28-year old single-season program record with 87 3-pointers last year, and tied the Anteaters' single-game high with a career-best seven treys at UCR on Jan. 7, 2017.
 
ROAD WARRIORS
UC Irvine is 6-2 in true road games this year. The Anteaters' next win away from home would match the program record for road victories in a season as they had seven in 2000-01, 1994-95, 1986-87 and 1984-85.  In Big West play, the 'Eaters earned their first road win at Hawai'i in 23 years and their first at UC Riverside since 2013.
 
DEFENSIVE MENTALITY
The Anteaters, who rank third in the Big West in steals, have forced their opponents into at least 20 turnovers nine times. They have also held their adversaries to a single-digit quarter on eight occasions, including twice in a 56-47 win over CSUN. It was UCI's first victory of the year when scoring less than 60 points as the 47 allowed were a season low. In addition, the 'Eaters set a program record by giving up just three points in the second quarter of a 72-59 triumph at CSU Bakersfield.
 
THREE'S COMPANY
UCI is averaging six 3-pointers per game, and connected for a season-high 11 at Cal Poly. On the year, seven 'Eaters have reached double digits in threes made, led by Andee Ritter's 24. Morgan Green ranks second with 20 triples in only seven games played, while Autumn Baumgartner (19), Yazzy Sa'Dullah (19), Lauren Saiki (16), Haleigh Talbert (11) and Dani Guglielmo (11) round out the group.
 
STARTING FIVE
The 'Eaters have used four different starting lineups this year. Their most frequently used contingent consists of two true freshmen, two sophomores and one junior. Freshman Tahlia Garza and sophomore Lauren Saiki are the only Anteaters who have started every game.
 
UP NEXT
UC Irvine returns to the hardwood and ESPN3 on Saturday, Feb. 3, when it makes its way to Long Beach State for a 7 p.m. Black & Blue Rivalry game.