Southern Utah (1-1) at
UC Irvine (2-0)
Date: Tuesday, Nov. 20
Time: 7 p.m. (PST)
Location: Bren Events Center - Irvine, Calif.
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UC Irvine Notes

IRVINE, Calif. - The UC Irvine women's basketball team kicks off a three-game week with a Tuesday (Nov. 20) showdown against Southern Utah. The Anteaters and Thunderbirds are set for a 7 p.m. tip-off at the Bren Events Center. UCI will then head to Phoenix, Ariz., for the GCU Thanksgiving Classic, Nov. 23-24.
 
STORYLINES
• UC Irvine defeated UNLV, 57-55, last week to improve to 2-0 for the fifth time in program history and first since 1995-96.
• As of Nov. 18, UCI ranks fifth in the nation in steals per game (18.0) and sixth in turnovers forced (29.5/gm).
• The Anteaters kicked off the season with a lopsided 105-31 victory over Life Pacific College on Nov. 7.
• The 74-point margin of victory was tied for the second largest in school history.
• After going 39 years without a 100-point game, the 'Eaters reached the century mark for the third time since February 2018.
• UCI won its season opener in back-to-back years for the first time since 2001-02 and 2002-03.
• Senior Andee Ritter, who has made 151 career 3-pointers, needs 48 more to break a 26-year old school record (198).
 
WITH A WIN...
• The Anteaters would be 3-0 for just the second time in program history. They started the 1995-96 campaign with a 4-0 record.
• The 'Eaters would extend their home winning streak to four games.
• UCI would win its second-straight meeting with Southern Utah, and improve to 4-1 all-time against the Thunderbirds.

PRESEASON POLLS
• UC Irvine was picked to finish third in both the media and coaches' Big West Preseason Polls.
• It was their highest ranking since 1998-99, when they were predicted to place second in the Western Division of the Big West.
• Jordan Sanders was also selected to the six-member preseason all-conference team.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Behind solid team defense, a big double-double from Jordan Sanders and some late heroics by Andee Ritter, UC Irvine topped UNLV, 57-55, last Tuesday at the Bren Events Center. The win was the Anteaters' first against the Lady Rebels since 1995, snapping a seven-game losing streak in the all-time series. It was a close game from start to finish with 12 lead changes and nine ties. In the final minute, the two teams were deadlocked at 55-55 before Ritter drove down the lane for a scoop layup with 3.1 seconds on the clock. That proved to be the game-winner as the 'Eater defense did not allow UNLV to get a good look before the final buzzer. Jordan Sanders recorded her second career double-double with 21 points and 12 rebounds. She also had a career-high tying four blocks, including one that kept the score knotted with 25 seconds to play. Haleigh Talbert, who was 6-for-6 at the free throw line, finished with 12 points, while Ritter added seven points and two steals. Lauren Saiki contributed four points, four assists and three steals.
 
SCOUTING THE THUNDERBIRDS
Southern Utah is 1-1 on the young season as it opened the campaign with a 69-59 victory over San Diego before dropping a 56-50 decision at UC Riverside last Thursday. Senior guard Breanu Reid leads the team with 12.0 points per game, while junior guard Rebecca Cardenas is averaging 11.0 points and 7.5 rebounds per outing. Tracy Sanders is in her first year at the helm of a program that went 3-27 last season.
 
SERIES RECORD
UC Irvine leads in its all-time series with Southern Utah, 3-1. The Anteaters defeated the Thunderbirds, 71-64, in Cedar City, Utah, last year. Andee Ritter led four 'Eaters in double figures with 14 points, to go along with eight rebounds. Tahlia Garza added 13 points on 6-of-7 shooting. Lauren Saiki also had 10 points and six assists, while Jordan Sanders finished with 10 points and nine boards. This will be just the second time the two teams square off in Irvine as SUU earned a 70-58 victory in the only meeting at the Bren Events Center on Dec. 19, 2016.
 
DEFENSIVE PRESENCE
The 'Eaters have been locked in on the defensive end, forcing more than 20 turnovers in each of their first two games. They pressured Life Pacific College into a season-high 36 miscues, thanks to a school-record 25 steals. The Anteaters also held the Warriors to a pair of single-digit quarters, with a program-best one point allowed in the third frame. Both of those records bettered the previous standards from last year when UCI had 24 steals vs. Long Beach State and gave up just three points in the second quarter of a 72-59 victory at Bakersfield. As of Nov. 18, UC Irvine ranks fifth in the nation in steals (18.0/gm) and sixth in turnovers forced (29.5/gm).
 
CENTURY MARK
After going without a 100-point game for 39 years, UC Irvine has now reached the century mark three times since February, 2018. It all started with a convincing 100-81 road victory at Long Beach State on Feb. 3. Just two games later, the 'Eaters posted their highest scoring total in the NCAA Division I Championship era, and tied an overall program record that was set back in 1979, with 107 points against Cal Poly (Feb. 15, 2018). UCI hasn't slowed down in 2018-19, as it dropped 105 points in its season opener vs. Life Pacific College on Nov. 7.
 
HOME COOKING
Since the start of the 2017-18 campaign, the 'Eaters are 12-4 (.750) at the Bren Events Center. Their 12 victories in less than two full seasons are more than the previous three years combined (10). In addition, they have won three-straight home games dating back to last year.
 
DEPTH PERCEPTION
One of UC Irvine's strengths is its depth, which was put on display in the season opener. All 10 active players saw the court with nine logging 17-plus minutes, and six scoring in double figures. The bench didn't see much drop off as the five reserves combined for 48 points. Last year, UCI netted 25+ bench points in 19 of its 32 contests, and outscored its opponents by an average of 8.2 ppg in that category.
 
CHART CLIMBER
Senior Andee Ritter sits alone in second on UC Irvine's all-time charts with 151 career 3-pointers made. She is on pace to break the school record of 198, which was set by Kathy Lizarraga (1988-92). The Medford, Ore., native already shattered Lizarraga's 28-year old single-season program record with 87 3-pointers two years ago, and tied UCI's single-game high with a career-best seven treys at UC Riverside on Jan. 7, 2017.
 
JORDAN EFFECT
The 'Eaters improved to 15-3 all-time when sophomore Jordan Sanders scores at least 10 points as she dropped 21 in a 57-55 win over UNLV, and 19 vs. Life Pacific College. Sanders added 12 rebounds and four blocks against the Lady Rebels for her second career double-double. The 2018 Big West Freshman of the Year was just two points shy of her collegiate career high of 23 points, which she established on 10-of-13 shooting against Cal Poly (Feb. 15, 2018). Through two games, Sanders is tops on the team with 20.0 points and 9.5 rebounds per contest.
 
THE TURNAROUND
In just her second season at the helm (2017-18), head coach Tamara Inoue engineered a remarkable turnaround, leading UC Irvine to a winning record for just the second time in 15 years, and first since 2013-14. At 18-14, the 'Eaters more than doubled their win total from each of the previous three seasons. They saw a 12.5-game improvement from 2016-17, which tied Nebraska for the second-best turnaround in NCAA Division I. The Anteaters were also one of only seven DI programs to see a plus-10 difference in the win column.
 
MORE FROM 2017-18
UC Irvine's .563 win percentage was its best since 2002-03 (.586). Their 18 wins rank fourth in school history, while last year's team also made UCI's first postseason appearance in 23 years. In addition, the 'Eaters set single-season program records in field goals made (825), 3FG made (213) and steals (356).
 
LOOKING AHEAD
UC Irvine recently announced its signing class for 2019-20. The group features four highly-touted incoming freshmen - Chloe Webb, Kayla Williams, Jayde Cadee and Sophia Locandro. Webb is a 5-8 guard who earned all-state and All-CIF honors as a junior at Mater Dei Catholic High School in Chula Vista. Williams is a four-star recruit out of Bishop Montgomery High School and Cal Storm Team Taurasi. The 5-7 point guard is ranked 21st in the nation at her position by ESPN. Cadee (5-11, Guard) and Locandro (6-3, Forward) both hail from Melbourne, Australia, and were teammates on the Victoria Metro State Team that won the U-18 national championship.
 
"It is a very exciting time here at UCI," head coach Tamara Inoue said. "We are building a very strong foundation for success, and adding these four elite student-athletes to our program will continue to push our ceiling even higher."
 
UP NEXT
UC Irvine will hit the road for the first time this season as it travels to Phoenix, Ariz., for the GCU Thanksgiving Classic. The 'Eaters are set to play two neutral-site games, taking on LIU Brooklyn (Nov. 23) and Indiana State (Nov. 24).