UC Irvine (10-2, 0-0 Big West) at
Cal Poly (3-8, 0-0 Big West)
Date: Saturday, Jan. 5
Time: 2 p.m. (PST)
Location: Mott Athletics Center (3,032) - San Luis Obispo, Calif.
Watch // Listen on KUCI // Live Stats

UC Irvine Game Notes

IRVINE, Calif. - The UC Irvine women's basketball team heads to San Luis Obispo this weekend as it begins its Big West slate at Cal Poly on Saturday, Jan. 5. The Anteaters and Mustangs are set for a 2 p.m. tip-off at Mott Athletics Center.
 
STORYLINES
• UC Irvine moved up one spot to No. 21 in the latest College Insider Mid-Major Poll released on Jan. 2.
• At 10-2, the Anteaters are off to their best 12-game start in program history.
• Through Jan. 2, the 'Eaters are third in the nation in turnover margin, 18th in turnovers forced and 22nd in steals.
• UCI has forced at least 22 turnovers in all but three games, and had a season-high 36 against Life Pacific on Nov. 7.
• Jordan Sanders, who has scored 20+ points seven times, is second in the Big West and 13th in the nation with 21.5 ppg.
• She had back-to-back career highs two weeks ago with 29 points (13-18 FG) at Portland and 34 (15-25 FG) at Portland State.
• Her 34 points are tied for the fifth-most in UC Irvine single-game history, while her 15 made field goals rank third.
• Sanders has been named the Big West Player of the Week three times this season (Nov. 26, Dec. 3 & Dec. 17).
• Over the last eight contests, Lauren Saiki is averaging 13.0 points and 8.1 assists, with a 3.61 assist-to-turnover ratio.
• Saiki ranks first in the conference and 10th in all of NCAA Division I with 6.5 assists per outing.
• In the last five games, Andee Ritter has knocked down 20 3-pointers (4.0/gm) and is averaging 17.4 points.
• She is shooting 60.6 percent (20-33) from beyond the arc during that stretch.
• Ritter has made 179 career 3-pointers, and is on pace to break the 26-year old school record of 198.
• She also ranks 45th in the country with 2.7 steals/game and is seventh in program history with 161 career takeaways.
 
WITH A WIN...
• UCI would win its conference opener for the first time since 2010-11 when it defeated UC Riverside on the road.
• The 'Eaters would pick up their third victory in their last four meetings with Cal Poly.
 
POW TIMES THREE
Sophomore Jordan Sanders took home her third Big West Player of the Week award on Dec. 17. She was recognized following a then career-best 29 points (13-18 FG) and six steals in an 84-69 win at Portland. The 'Eaters led by one at the half, but Sanders scored 19 over the final 20 minutes to lift them to the 15-point victory. She added five rebounds and three blocks. Just a couple weeks earlier, the 5-foot-11 forward became the first Anteater in program history to earn back-to-back Big West POW accolades as she received the nod on Nov. 26 and Dec. 3. During that stretch, she recorded four-straight 20-point outings against LIU Brooklyn (21), Indiana State (25), Bakersfield (22) and San Jose State (24). On Nov. 28, she was also named to the NCAA's Starting Five, which recognizes players with standout performances from around the country.

IN THE RANKINGS
UC Irvine made its debut in the College Insider Mid-Major Poll at No. 24 on Dec. 4, and has remained in the top-25 over the last four weeks. The Anteaters came in at No. 21 in the most recent rankings released on Jan. 2.

One of UCI's two losses this year came to Oregon, which was seventh in both the AP and USA Today Polls. It was the first time the 'Eaters faced a nationally ranked opponent since Arizona State in 2006.

SCOUTING THE MUSTANGS
Cal Poly fell to 3-8 on the season after suffering an 81-35 loss at UCLA last Friday. Senior forward Devin Stanback leads the Mustangs with 13.3 points per game, while Hana Vesela, a junior transfer from Michigan State, is also averaging 12.0 points and 5.5 rebounds since she was cleared to play on Dec. 17. Senior guard Dye Stahley has been directing the offense with a team-leading 4.6 assists per outing.
 
SERIES RECORD
UC Irvine trails in its all-time series with Cal Poly, 36-20, but has won two of the last three against the Mustangs. In the most recent meeting on Feb. 15, 2018, UCI toppled CP, 107-66, at the Bren Events Center. It was the Anteaters' highest scoring total in the NCAA Division I Championship era, and tied an overall program record that was set back in 1979. Jordan Sanders finished with 23 points on a 10-of-13 shooting performance, while Andee Ritter went 4-of-9 from 3-point range for 14 points.

LAST TIME OUT
UC Irvine used a big fourth quarter to defeat Seattle U, 65-60, in its non-conference finale last Saturday at the Bren Events Center. The Anteaters trailed by five after three periods, but outscored the Redhawks, 24-14, over the final 10 minutes. Jordan Sanders registered a team-high 19 points and eight rebounds. Andee Ritter finished with 15 points, all of which came in the second half, while Lauren Saiki added 10 points, six assists, three boards and two steals.
 
WIN NO. 10
UC Irvine was the only Big West school to reach double figures in the win column during non-conference play. It is the fastest the Anteaters have ever reached the 10-win mark as they are off to their best start in program history. In addition, the 'Eaters secured their second consecutive 10-win season for the first time since 2010-11 and 2011-12.
 
THE BIG THREE
Senior Andee Ritter, junior Lauren Saiki and sophomore Jordan Sanders have accounted for 60 percent of UC Irvine's scoring. The trio has combined for 552 points (46.0 ppg) on 45 percent shooting. All three have scored at least 10 points in each of the last four outings, while they have totaled 30 double-figure scoring performances and nine 20-point outings on the year.
 
DEFENSIVE PRESENCE
The 'Eaters have been locked in on the defensive end, forcing more than 20 turnovers in nine of their 12 games. They pressured Life Pacific College into a season-high 36 miscues, thanks to a school-record 25 steals. The Anteaters have also held their opponents to six single-digit quarters with a program-best one point allowed in the third frame against LPC. Both of their 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 at Bakersfield. Through Jan. 2, UC Irvine ranks third in the nation in turnover margin (9.0), 18th in turnovers forced (22.3/gm) and 22nd in steals (12.0/gm).
 
DEPTH PERCEPTION
One of UC Irvine's biggest strengths this year is its depth. Nine of the Anteaters' 10 active roster members have logged at least 10 minutes per outing, while eight are averaging at least 4.5 ppg. They have had multiple players reach double figures in scoring in every contest. With their regular sub rotations, the Anteaters are able to press a majority of the time while not seeing much drop off on the offensive end.
  
JORDAN EFFECT
UC Irvine is in good shape when sophomore Jordan Sanders scores 10+ points. In her young career, the Anteaters are 23-5 when she reaches double figures, and 9-0 when she hits the 20-point mark. The Springfield, Mo., native has played a key role in UCI's hot start as she has put up double digits in all 12 games. Seven of those have been 20+ performances, including a career-high 34 points on 15-of-25 shooting at Portland State. Just two days earlier, she had a then career-best 29 points and six steals at Portland. Sanders also finished with 25 points vs. Indiana State, 24 at San Jose State, 22 vs. Bakersfield, 21 vs. LIU Brooklyn and 21 vs. UNLV. She recorded 11 rebounds and four steals against the Sycamores, while notching 12 boards and four blocks in a 57-55 win over the Lady Rebels. Through 12 games, the 2018 Big West Freshman of the Year ranks second in the league, and 13th in the nation, with 21.5 ppg.
 
CHART CLIMBER
Senior Andee Ritter ranks second among UC Irvine's all-time leaders with 179 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. She is also seventh in school history with 161 career steals.

SWEET STROKE
Over the last five games, Andee Ritter is averaging 17.4 points, has made 20 threes and is shooting 61 percent from behind the arc. She finished with a season-high 21 points on a 6-of-9 performance from long distance against San Diego State on Dec. 7. On the season, Ritter is averaging 12.8 ppg, and if she keeps up her current pace, she will become the first 'Eater to surpass 1,000 career points in 10 years.
 
THE LO-DOWN
Over the last eight games, junior Lauren Saiki (Monterey Park, Calif.) is averaging 13.0 points and 8.1 assists, with a 3.61 assist-to-turnover ratio. On Nov. 24, the 5-foot-3 point guard recorded her first double-double as an Anteater with 10 points and a career-high 13 assists against Indiana State. She committed just one turnover in the 77-61 victory over the Sycamores. Saiki's 13 dimes rank third in single-game program history and were the most by an 'Eater since Raelyn Cheung-Sutton dished out 12 vs. UC Davis on March 5, 2016. Saiki followed that performance with a career-best 19 points and eight assists vs. CSU Bakersfield. She also finished with 19 points and eight helpers at Portland, and notched her second double-double with 13 points and 10 assists at Portland State.
 
UP NEXT
UC Irvine continues Big West play next Saturday, Jan. 12, when it hosts CSUN at 2 p.m.