FOLLOW THE ANTEATERS
UC Irvine (11-3) at Pacific (9-5)
Saturday, Dec. 29 | 7:00 p.m.
Alex G. Spanos Center – Stockton, Calif.
Live Stats | Radio | Video (TheW.tv)

Game Notes

OPENING TIPS
> UCI has won 11 of its first 14 games, a .786 winning percentage. It is the 'Eaters best in 18 years, since the 2000-01 started 12-2.  In the history of the program, the only UCI squad with more wins in its first 12 games was the 1981-82 team which began 12-1
> UCI recorded its 10^th win on Dec. 15^th, the earliest date on the calendar in the history of the program. Only two Anteater teams have registered 10 wins by the end of December. They include the current 2018-19 team (12/15), the 2015-16 team (12/22)
> Since 2012-13, UCI is 86-5 when holding an opponent to 60 points or less. The Anteaters are 7-0 in 2018-19 when doing so, and have won 18 straight dating back to last season when hitting that mark
> Before falling to Butler,  the Anteaters had a 10 game road-winning streak which ended as the second-longest active road-win streak in DI.
> Head coach Russell Turner earned his 168^th career win against EMU, which moved him to ninth in the Big West's all-time career wins list
> UC Irvine currently has the best record of Southern California basketball programs
> The 18 three-pointers recorded by the 'Eaters against Denver set a school and Bren Events Center record, besting the previous mark of 16 recorded on Feb. 13, 1999 vs. Cal State Fullerton
> The Anteaters are No. 14 in this week's CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major poll, after spending two weeks at No. 13, their highest ranking of the season
> UCI is 2-0 this season against the West Coast Conference earning road wins against Santa Clara (61-49) and Saint Mary's (80-75)
> UCI recently earned a 52-48 win against Eastern Michigan, holding the Eagles to just 48 points, the fewest total allowed by an opponent this season

With a win Saturday … UCI would improve to 3-0 against WCC teams this season … UCI would improve to 5-0 over California teams this year … Win four-straight games against Pacific
 
ABOUT THE TIGERS
> Pacific is 9-5 on the season with a recent loss to Boise State, 71-83 (Dec. 22)
> Four Tigers average double-figures in scoring including Roberto Gallinat (14-.2 ppg), Lafayette Dorsey (13.8), Anothony Townes (11.8) and Jahlil Tripp (10.6)
> The Tigers average 39.6 rebounds per game and shot 45.7 percent from the field
> Damon Stoudamire is in his third season as head coach of UOP with a 27-45 record
> This will be the 84^th meeting between the Tigers an Anteaters. Pacific is 43-40 all-time against UCI including 23-15 in Stockton
> UCI has one the last three meetings against the Tigers. The two teams last played each other Nov. 19 2016 where the Anteaters earned a 72-65 win in Irvine
> UOP and UCI battled in the Big West for 36 seasons (1978-2013)
 
OFFENSE STYMIED IN MID-WEST TRIP
> UCI is coming off a 1-1 week with a win over EMU, 52-48, and a lost to Butler, 71-54. The Anteaters shot their lowest field-goal percentages of the season in both contests finishing 33.9 percent from the field against EMU and 35.3 percent against Butler
> UCI finished with the fewest points scored in both games (52 at EMU and 54 at Butler) and the fewest first half points of the season in both contests with 24 and 17 points, respectively
> Against Butler, not a single Anteater finished in double-digit scoring for the first time this season

RECORD NIGHT 
> UCI defeated Denver at home by a sore of 86-52. The 34-point victory was the most since the 'Eaters beat Life Pacific, 87-53, (Nov. 12)
> The Anteaters set a new school record in single-game 3-pointers with 18, breaking the previous record of 16 three's recorded on Feb. 13 1999 against Cal State Fullerton
> Max Hazzard set a new Bren Events Center record after hitting a career-best 10 three-pointers. He ended the night with a career-high 32 points on 10-17 shooting from long range
> UCI also held the Pioneers the 16 first half points, the lowest total by an opponent during a half this season
> The 'Eaters also tallied a season-high eight blocked shots, led by three from Elston Jones and three from Solomon Ruddell

ROAD STREAK HALTED
> UCI's 10 game road winning streak was snapped after a 71-54 loss to Butler (Dec. 21)
> 10 games was the second-longest active road winning streak in the country this season
> The Anteaters had not lost a game on the road since Jan. 20th 2018 against UC Santa Barbara
> UCI picked up notable road wins this season against Texas A&M, Saint Mary's and Eastern Michigan

HAZZARD'S HOT START
>Max Hazzard was named the Big West Player of the Week twice this season. He earned the first honor of the season (Nov. 12) and again this week (Dec. 17)
>Hazzard's 10 three's against Denver was one shy of tying the single-game UCI and Big West records of 11 3-pointers. The UCI record was set by Chris Brown against New Mexico State on Mar. 13, 1994 while the BWC mark is held by Brown and CS Fullerton's Bobby Brown
>His 10 threes are tied for fourth most in the country this season
>Hazzard leads the team with 10.1 points per game and 31 three-pointers made
>Earlier this season, Hazzard led UCI to a 74-73 road victory over Texas A&M, finishing the night with 19 points on five three-pointers made

QUICK HITS
> UCI is 10-0 when totaling more or the same rebounds and 1-3 when finishing with less
> The Anteaters are 10-0 when finishing with more assists and 0-3 when totaling less
> UCI is 7-0 when holding opponents to 60 points or less
> Jonathan Galloway has lead the team in rebounding in 10-out-of-14 games
> UCI has had seven different leading scorer's this season

IN THE STATS
> Galloway leads UCI with 109 rebounds this season, which ranks 46th nationally and second in the BWC. He leads UCI with 7.8 rpg, second in the Big West. His 3.15 offensive rebounds per game ranks 50^th nationally
> Elston Jones has a team-best 24 blocks this season which ranks 44th nationally and second in the BWC
> The Anteaters are ranked 6^th nationally in total rebounds (554), 14^th in field goal percentage defense (37.9) and 28^th in scoring defense (62.4)
> UCI ranks 19th in total blocks and first in the BWC with 64 on the season

MOVING UP THE RECORD BOOKS
> Jonathan Galloway jumped to No. 4 in all-time rebounds with 784, surpassing Darren Fells (780). Galloway is 142 rebounds away from becoming the all-time leader. Dave Baker currently holds the top spot with 926 career rebounds.

NEWS AND NOTES
> Head coach Russell Turner moved to second in UCI's all-time career when he earned his 164^thwin against St. Mary's (11/28)
> John Edgar Jr. was named to the Gulf Coast Showcase All-Tournament Team after averaging 12 points per game and three rebounds per game including hitting a season-high 16 points against Toledo in the championship game
> Head coach Russell Turner returns for his ninth season at the helm. Turner upped his career win total to 157 becoming the third coach in UCI history to eclipse 150 wins in a career and he's done it in just eight seasons averaging nearly 20 wins a season. He trails to Anteater coaching greats Bill Mulligan (163 career wins) and Pat Douglass (197 career wins) who each reached the 150-win plateau in their 10^th season
> The Anteaters have amassed a 64-17 record at home over the last six years 
> Seven postseason teams dot the 2018-19 schedule
> The Anteaters were picked to finish first in the Big West Preseason Poll garnering 10 of the 24 first-place votes and 192 points
> Evan Leonard and Tommy Rutherford were selected to the six-member preseason all-conference team
> UCI returns 94.30 percent of its offense in 2018-19, the eighth best mark in the nation. The Anteaters are 1 of 14 teams nationally that return 90% or more offensively
> Defensively, UCI finished the 2017-18 season fifth in the NCAA in rebounds per game with a 41.2 average. The Anteaters also ranked third in defensive rebounds per game (29.2), sixth in total rebounds (1,443) and 10^th in rebounding margin (+7.5)
> The Anteaters were fifth in the nation last year allowing opponents to shoot 38.9% from the field. UCI is 1 of 10 schools to keep opponents under 40%, and 1 of 4 to keep them under 39%
> UCI finished with the stingiest scoring defense in the conference allowing 67.1 points per game. UCI also led the conference in rebounding for the fifth time in program history and fourth in the last five years
> Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook ranked UC Irvine No. 1 in its Big West preseason poll. It also picked Tommy Rutherford and Jonathan Galloway to the preseason all-conference team
> The Big West's two-time Defensive Player of the Year Jonathan Galloway returns for his final season, he led UCI in rebounding (7.6) and blocked shots (47) a year ago, becoming the 14^th Anteater to reach 600 career rebounds.
> Galloway has averaged 225 rebounds per season, a total that would put him near 1,000 career rebounds

NEW FACES
> UCI added four to the roster this season including grad transfer Robert Cartwright
> Cartwright graduated from Stanford last spring, playing three season for the Cardinal. He led Stanford in assist to turnover ratio at 2.14 last season, averaging 4.7 points and 2.3 assists
> The Anteaters also welcome freshmen JC Butler, Devin Cole and Aiden Krause
> Head coach Russell Turner announced the addition of Alex Young to his staff in 2018-19. Young returns to his alma mater as video coordinator. He was a four-year member of the UCI men's basketball team and graduated in 2016 as the only player in school history to record over 1000 points, 500 assists, and 500 rebound. Young was also a part of UCI's 2015 NCAA Tournament Team

UP NEXT
UCI starts the New Year with its final non-conference game again UTRGV Thursday, Jan. 3 at 7 p.m. at the Bren Events Center.