UC Riverside (6-17, 3-6 Big West) at
UC Irvine (15-8, 7-2 Big West)
Date: Saturday, Feb. 10
Time: 2 p.m. (PST)
Location: Bren Events Center (5,000) - Irvine, Calif.
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UC Irvine Game Notes

The UC Irvine women's basketball team welcomes UC Riverside to the Bren Events Center on Saturday, Feb. 10, for a 2 p.m. showdown in its lone game this week.
 
TIP-INS
• Since Nov. 30, UC Irvine is 13-3, marking the best current 16-game stretch in the Big West.
• UCI has surpassed its win total from each of the last three years and has reached double digits for the first time in four years.
• The Anteaters need five more victories to record the third 20-win season in program history and first since 1984-85.
• At 7-2, the 'Eaters are second in the Big West standings, and are off to their best conference start in 23 years.
• UCI reached the century mark in a game for the first time in 39 years with its 100-81 win at LBSU last Saturday.
• UC Irvine ranks second in the league in scoring margin, free throw percentage, field goal percentage and turnover margin.
• The 'Eaters have held their opponents to eight single-digit quarters, including a program-best three-point period at CSUB (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 Anteaters.
• Morgan Green has six 20-plus point games and recently notched her second 30-point effort of the year.
• Green picked up Big West Player of the Week honors on Jan. 15, following just her second and third games of the season.
• Jordan Sanders has reached double digits in each of the last five outings with a season-high 22 points vs. CSUN.
• Sanders also had 11 rebounds (first career double-double), four blocks, three steals and no turnovers against the Matadors.
• UC Irvine has a new look this year with 10 newcomers (five true freshmen and five returning redshirts).
 
STRENGTH IN NUMBERS
• Eleven of UC Irvine's 14 players are averaging at least 10 minutes per contest.
• Ten Anteaters have 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. UC RIVERSIDE...
• UC Irvine would improve to 8-2 in Big West play, cementing the program's best 10-game conference start ever.
• UCI would notch its sixth victory in a row, tying the third-longest win streak in school history (last reached in 2010).
• The 'Eaters would earn their first regular-season series sweep over UC Riverside since 2000-01.

COIN DRIVE
Throughout the month of February, UC Irvine's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) is participating in the 11th annual Big West Coin Drive. Student-athletes will be collecting donations at 10 events on campus, including two women's basketball games starting with Saturday's contest against UC Riverside. This year, the Anteaters are raising money for UCI Active Minds, which helps destigmatize mental health awareness and promotes emotional wellness on campus and in the community.

SCOUTING THE HIGHLANDERS
UC Riverside (6-17, 3-6 Big West) suffered its fourth-straight loss last week, falling at Cal Poly, 91-73. The Highlanders will host UC Santa Barbara on Thursday before making their way to Irvine. On the season, seniors Michelle Curry and Lauren Holt lead the squad with 15.1 and 15.0 points per game, respectively. Sophomore Skyler Lewis is also averaging 8.8 points and a team-best 7.9 rebounds per outing.
 
SERIES RECORD VS. UCR
This will be the 57th all-time meeting between UC Irvine and UC Riverside. The Highlanders lead the series, 37-19, but the Anteaters snapped a five-game skid two weeks ago with an 81-71 road victory (Jan. 25). Morgan Green, Lauren Saiki (12-16 FT) and Jordan Sanders (5-8 FG, 7-7 FT) led UCI to the win with 17 points each. Green added eight rebounds and seven assists, while Tahlia Garza also finished with 14 points and eight boards. On Saturday, the 'Eaters will be looking to complete their first season sweep of UCR since 2000-01.
 
AROUND THE BIG WEST
With seven regular-season games remaining, UC Irvine, which was picked to finish eighth in the preseason poll, is in sole possession of second place in the Big West standings. The 'Eaters are 1.5 games behind league-leading UC Davis (9-1), while they are a half-game ahead of third-place Cal Poly (7-3) and one in front of fourth-place CSUN (6-3). The top two finishers will receive a bye into the Big West Tournament semifinals at the Honda Center. The third and fourth-place teams also receive a first-round bye into the quarterfinals at Titan Gym.
 
LAST TIME OUT
UC Irvine stayed hot last Saturday, defeating Long Beach State, 100-81, for its fifth-straight victory in front of 1,072 fans at the Walter Pyramid. The Anteaters reached the century mark for just the second time in program history, and the first since scoring 107 against UC Santa Cruz on Nov. 23, 1979. The 'Eaters, who shot 47.2 percent, finished with a season-high 20 assists on 34 made field goals. They also had a season-best 15 steals as they ended up forcing LBSU into 22 turnovers. UC Irvine took advantage of the 49ers' miscues, winning the battle in points off turnovers, 29-14.
 
Morgan Green led the way with a game-high 28 points and eight assists. Autumn Baumgartner added a season-best 18 points to go along with four assists, three rebounds and two steals. Tahlia Garza notched her second double-double of the season with 13 points and 11 rebounds, while Jordan Sanders had her fifth-straight double-digit scoring performance with 13 points.

POY CANDIDATE
Junior Morgan Green is making her case for Big West Player of the Year honors with an impressive Anteater debut season. In conference action, Green ranks second in the league in scoring (23.3 ppg), second in 3-pointers made (3.0/game), third in free throw percentage (83.9), fourth in steals (2.3 spg) and fifth in assists (3.7 apg). The 5-foot-7 guard has lit up the competition for six 20-plus point games, including a pair of 30-point performances.
 
30 ROCK
In just her second game of the season, Morgan Green broke out with a career-high 31 points at Hawai'i on Jan. 11. She connected on nine of her 15 attempts (5-9 3FG, 8-9 FT), while adding five rebounds and four steals against the Rainbow Wahine. It was UCI's first 30-point performance since Camille Buckley in 2014. Three weeks later, the San Jose native dropped 30 in a season-low 27 minutes played at Cal State Fullerton. Green was extremely efficient from the field, shooting 71.4 percent overall (10-14), and 60 percent from beyond the arc (3-5).
 
WEEKLY HONORS
Green was named the Big West Player of the Week on Jan. 15, making her the first 'Eater to win the award since Mokun Fajemisin in 2015. She 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. Green 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).
 
SEEING GREEN
Morgan Green, who made her long-awaited UC Irvine debut on Jan. 4, has reached double figures in scoring in all nine games she has played, and is averaging a team-best 23.3 points per contest. The junior transfer from Michigan State has reached the 20-point mark six times with two of those being 30+ performances. From Jan. 11-20, she had four-straight 20+ games, marking the longest streak by an Anteater since Mikah Maly-Karros in 2010 (6).
 
JORDAN EFFECT
The 'Eaters are 11-0 when freshman Jordan Sanders scores at least 10 points. She has sparked UC Irvine's current five-game win streak, reaching double figures in each of those contests. The Springfield, Mo., native had the best game of her young career with 22 points, 11 rebounds, four blocks and three steals in a 56-47 win over CSUN on Jan. 27. 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 15 wins, Sanders is averaging 11.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.4 steals, and 1.1 blocks, while shooting 50.7 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 28 3-pointers in 17 games played (1.6/gm). She has moved up five spots on UC Irvine's all-time charts this year, most recently passing Kristen Green for sole possession of fourth with 129 career triples. Ritter is nine 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.
 
DEFENSIVE MENTALITY
The Anteaters, who rank third in the Big West in steals, have forced their opponents into at least 20 turnovers 11 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 fewer 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.

AT THE LINE
UC Irvine ranks second in the Big West in free throw percentage with a 73.5 clip. Four Anteaters enter the weekend above 80 percent, led by Andee Ritter and Jordan Sanders who sit at 92.3 (12-13) and 90.2 (37-41) percent, respectively.

THREE'S COMPANY
The Anteaters are averaging over six 3-pointers per game, and connected for a season-high 11 at Cal Poly. On the year, four players have made at least 20 threes, led by Andee Ritter's 28. Morgan Green ranks second with 27 triples in only nine games played, while Autumn Baumgartner (22) and Yazzy Sa'Dullah (20) round out the quartet.
 
ROAD WARRIORS
The 'Eaters are 8-2 in true road games this year, and have set a new program record for road victories in a season. The previous best was seven, which UCI attained in 2000-01, 1994-95, 1986-87 and 1984-85. UC Irvine has made big strides in conference play where it is 4-1 away from home, while earning its first win at Hawai'i in 23 years, at Long Beach State in eight years and at UC Riverside in five years.
 
THE TURNAROUND
In just her second year at the helm, head coach Tamara Inoue has already turned around a UC Irvine program that finished with a losing record in five of the last six seasons. Through 23 contests, the Anteaters have made a 12-game improvement from 2016-17. Their resurgence didn't come until about a month into the current campaign as they started a tough non-conference slate at 2-5, but have gone 13-3 since Nov. 30. UCI has more than doubled its win total from each of the last two years and has its most Big West victories since 2013-14 (9-7).

UP NEXT
UC Irvine will face the Big West's Central Coast teams next week, hosting Cal Poly in the front end of a doubleheader with the men Thursday (Feb. 15) at 5:30 p.m., before traveling to UC Santa Barbara on Saturday, Feb. 17.