150 - Head Coach Russell Turner registered his 150th career win at Cal State Fullerton. He's the third UCI coach to reach the mark joining Bill Mulligan (1980-91) at 163 wins and Pat Douglass (1997-2010) with the all-time mark at 197 wins

17 - After hardly seeing the same starting five through the season's first 12 contests, UCI has now gone 17 straight games with the same starting five of John Edgar Jr. Jonathan Galloway, Evan Leonard, Eyassu Worku, and Tommy Rutherford

2nd - The 'Eaters stand 2nd in the NCAA in rebounds behind North Carolina. UCI's next rebound will be its 1,200th of the season as it ranks 5th in rebounds per game, 8th in rebounding margin, 10th in defensive boards per game, and 33rd in offensive

38.9 - The Anteaters are 5th in the nation allowing opponents to shoot 38.9% from the field on the year, and the defense has kept its opponents FG% under 36% in each of the last five contests
 
The Anteaters return to FOX Sports Prime Ticket on Thursday for the home contest against UC Santa Barbara. The 'Eaters this season have gone 5-6 in broadcasted games this season and 1-1 on FOX.

The conference leader UC Santa Barbara will be the opponent Thursday night now just 1/2 game up on the 'Eaters and Aggies for the top spot after falling to UC Davis on Saturday snapping their eight-game winning streak. The Gauchos took the first meeting, 70-58, over the 'Eaters in the Thunderdome a month ago.

Gabe Vincent was the star of the show in the last game putting up a season high 21 points in addition to four assists and three steals. He was helped out by Jalen Canty (20pts-11reb), Max Heidegger (14pts-5ast) and Leland King II (14reb) who each have averaged double digits on the season.

The Gauchos have been without the services of Jalen Canty for the last four games, the team's second-leading scorer and rebounder and team's block leader. Leland King II continues to top the Big West during conference play in rebounding (11.6 RPG) including 8.8 defensive rebounds per game, and Max Heidegger's 2.8 3-pointers per game, tops in the Big West, has landed him at third in scoring at 21.6

Following Thursday night's matchup will be the second meeting in nine days with Hawai'i. The Rainbow Warriors stole a 62-61 win in the Bren last Thursday despite going 3-of-24 from the field in the second half and leading scorer Gibson Johnson pouring in all 13 points in the first half.

Hawai'i hosts Long Beach State in Honolulu prior to UCI's visit. The Rainbow Warriors are an even 6-6 in conference, and return to the island where it has played 18 of its 25 games going 12-6. Over the last three seasons, this series has been a sweep with UCI winning both matchups in 2015 and 2017 while Hawai'i scoring a 2016 sweep.

Hawai'i's Mike Thomas is eighth in scoring and rebounding in Big West play. He also leads with a 62.1% FG percentage in Big West games, and following in second at 58.7% is Gibson Johnson. Drew Buggs ranks third in assists (4.4), second in assist-to-turnover ratio (+2.5), and sixth in steals (1.5), and Brocke Stepteau is fourth in 3pt% (42.9%). As a squad during conference play, UH ranks top three in scoring defense (3rd - 69.2 PPG), 3pt % (3rd - 36.5%), 3pt makes (2nd - 7.6), and 3pt % defense (3rd - 33.6%), and is the conference's leader with 14.2 assists per game while ranking dead least only in blocks per game averaging just 1.6 per contest.

ANT-ALYTICS
UC Irvine's non-conference schedule ranks as the sixth-toughest in the NCAA equipped with 12 games away from home and six tournament teams from a year ago. The trek covered 11,715 miles with the Anteaters playing games in 10 different states.

CoachStats.net recently came out with the top 25 rankings of coach behind today's best defenses from all three NCAA Divisions, and Russell Turner is ranked No. 1. The list names coaches whose careers go from defensive stops taking into consideration defensive rebounds, fewest fouls, FG% defense, forced turnovers, scoring defense, total blocks and steals, and 3pt FG defense. The team's defense has ascended to the top of the Big West and 58th in the country allowing 67.5 points per game.

Anteater rebounding averages 41.3 per game, fifth in the nation, and has grabbed 1,199 total rebounds, second-most in the NCAA, just 13 behind NCAA leaders North Carolina (1,212). UCI's 28.9 defensive rebounds per game is 10th-best in the nation, offensive rebounds stand at 12.4 per game, 33rd-best, and eighth-best rebound margin at +7.9.

Jonathan Galloway reached 100 career blocks earlier in conference play. His team reached 100 on the season at LBSU and is 65th nationally with 4.2 blocks per game, and stand 51st nationally with 122 total blocks thanks to a season-high 6-block night from Elston Jones against CSUN

Galloway also joined the Anteater 600-rebound club, the 14th all-time in program history. He's currently at 633 career rebounds, now 10th in the program's all-time records after surpassing Ricky Butler, Adam Folker, Jerry Maras, and Jeff Von Lutzow with his 11 rebounds at UC Riverside.

UC Irvine is allowing opponents to shoot just 38.9% on the season, 5th-lowest in the nation. UCI is 1 of 12 programs holding its opponents under 40% shooting trailing schools Michigan State, Cincinnati, Virginia, and UCF. UC Irvine's defensive field goal percentage ranked sixth in the nation in 2016-17.

Through 13 conference games, the 'Eaters lead the Big West rebounds per game (41.1), defensive rebounds per game (29.3), rebound margin (+9.8), scoring margin (+8.4), scoring defense (61.2), FG% defense (37.7%), and 3pt defense (27.2%). They're also among the top three in offensive rebounds per game (2nd - 11.7).

Anteater leaders through 13 conference games include:

Evan Leonard now ninth with 15.4 points per game. He's also top 10 in steals (4th - 1.7 SPG), 3pt makes (2nd - 2.2 3PG), and 3pt FG percentage (9th - 41.2%).

Eyassu Worku is not too far behind in scoring (15th - 12.5 PPG) and also shows up in steals per game (9th - 1.3), assists per game (6th - 3.8), and assist-to-turnover ratio (9th - +1.5), and also is the 'Eaters' leader in minutes in Big West play ranking 21st with 30.5 minutes per game
 
Jonathan Galloway ranks top 100 nationally in blocks (90th - 42) and rebounds (89th - 221). In conference play, he's top 10 in rebounding (2nd - 8.0 RPG), defensive rebounds per game (T5th - 5.2), and is the leading offensive rebounding with 2.8 per game
Tommy Rutherford's conference play has earned him a top 10 spot in rebounding (7th - 6.7 RPG), defensive rebounds per game (T5th - 5.2), blocks (T6th - 0.8 per game), and FG% (3rd - 58.7%). His overall field goal percentage of 60.5% on the season leads the Big West Conference.

Elston Jones leapt into the rankings as well after his stellar performance vs. CSUN now T6th in blocks per game (0.8) as well as rebounds per game (14th - 5.2), and offensive rebounds per game (T4th - 2.0)

RECENT GAME RUNDOWN
UC Irvine won its sixth straight game in San Luis Obispo and it did it while never trailing in the game, only the second time this season against a Division I opponent (Cal State Fullerton)

Career highs Saturday night came in the form of 33 minutes played and 21 points for John Edgar Jr. as he made 9 of 14 shots from the field. Eyassu Worku dished out a career high eight assists, a season high for the team, and gave him 100 for the season marking the eighth consecutive season an Anteater has recorded at least 100 assists.

The Anteaters made all 11 shots from the free throw line, its best percentage on the season. Over its last six games, UCI has shot better than 80% in four, and is shooting 77.1% overall in those games

UC Irvine trailed at the half vs. Hawai'i, just the third time in conference play, and now 2-10 on the season when trailing at the half. The seven-point deficit was its largest in Big West play

Evan Leonard scored in double figures for the 22nd time this year, most on the team, and sixth game in a row. Tommy Rutherford now has eight straight games with double figures leading the team in six of them

UC Irvine's win at UC Riverside for the third straight allowing 60 points or less, seventh time all season, and sixth in conference play. The 'Eaters have allowed 54.8 points per game during their five-game win streak

For the first time this season, four Anteaters played 30+ minutes in a game in the win at UC Riverside including John Edgar Jr.'s 32 minutes that was a new career high.

Evan Leonard recorded five steals on Saturday, a new career high, and the most since Alex Young's five he posted in a win at Long Beach State, Jan. 14, 2016.

UC Irvine foul shooters have now made 59 of their last 79 shots from the line. The 'Eaters have shot better than 80% from the line in three of their last four games. Prior to that, they had only done it once all season (81.0% vs. Idaho)

Elston Jones set a team high this season with six blocks against CSUN eclipsing Brad Greene's total of five vs. Chapman. Jones' previous career high was three set at Utah State. He's also snagged at least five rebounds in 11 of his last 13 contests

UCI allowed CSF to shoot 32.8%, third-lowest percentage given up to a Division I opponent (24.6% to UC Riverside, 29.8% to South Dakota State). The percentage was also CSF's second-lowest in a game and fourth time held under 40% shooting from the field

The win at the Pyramid gave UC Irvine an 11-7 advantage in the Black and Blue Rivalry Series, after nine meetings between the schools over six different sports. Women's basketball posted its first 100-point game since 1979 in a win over LBSU Saturday to boost UCI's lead in the series to 14-7

NEWS & NOTES
Brandon Smith was named to the Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational All-Tournament Team scoring 18 points, dishing out four assists, and adding a pair of steals over an average of 21.5 minutes in the split against Rider and Northern Arizona.

Under head coach Russell Turner, UCI has won 114 games over the last five years, advancing to the postseason each of those years (2013 CIT, 2014 NIT, 2015 NCAA, 2016 CIT and 2017 NIT).

UCI has recorded five consecutive 20-win seasons, including 21-15 in 2016-17. In the past five seasons, UCI is 114-66 overall and 60-22 in Big West Conference games.

Coach Turner scored his 150th career victory at Cal State Fullerton on Feb. 3 making him the third Anteater head coach in men's basketball to win at least 150 games.

The 'Eaters were 12-4 in Big West play last season, winning those 12 by an average of 18.0 points.

UCI was 11-2 at home last season and enters 2017-18 winners of 37 of its last 44 games (.841) in the Bren Events Center.

UCI has won a conference-best 60 Big West games over the last five seasons (60-22, .732).

UCI has won outright, or shared, the Big West regular-season title three of the last four years, including the last two.

The Anteaters were picked to finish first in the Big West Preseason Poll garnering 14 of the 26 first-place votes, however, no 'Eaters were represented on media Preseason All-Big West squad.

College Sports Madness named three Anteaters to its Preseason All-Conference squad including Tommy Rutherford, Eyassu Worku, and Jonathan Galloway. Russell Turner was also mentioned as Preseason Coach of the Year for the publication.

The Anteaters ranked sixth in the nation last season in field-goal percentage defense at .383. The Anteaters were 17^th in rebound margin (6.7) and 29^th in scoring defense (64.8).

The 'Eaters have blocked 744 shots over the past four seasons for an average of 5.2 per game.  UCI returns three of its top four shot-blockers from last season.

The 'Eaters have won 72 of their last 77 games when holding the opposition to 60 points or less.

Entering the season, UCI was 71-9 in its last 80 games when limiting the opposition to under 40-percent shooting from the field.

UCI had a tough non-conference schedule featuring six teams that saw action in the NCAA Tournament last season. The ledger clocks in as the 11th-toughest in college basketball this season.