UC Irvine (1-1) vs.
Davidson (1-1)
Date: Friday, Nov. 15
Time: 3:30 p.m. (CST) / 1:30 p.m. (PST)
Location: Swinney Center (1,500) - Kansas City, Mo.

UC Irvine (1-1) vs.
Kansas City (1-1) or Portland State (1-1)
Date: Saturday, Nov. 16
Time: TBA
Location: Swinney Center (1,500) - Kansas City, Mo.

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IRVINE, Calif. - UC Irvine women's basketball is headed to Kansas City, Missouri, to continue the Preseason WNIT in a four-team consolation bracket. The Anteaters are set to open the weekend against Davidson with a 1:30 p.m. (PST) showdown on Friday, Nov. 15. They will then square off against either host Kansas City or Portland State on Saturday, Nov. 16.
 
STORYLINES
• This is UC Irvine's first appearance in the 16-team Preseason WNIT.
• The elite tournament features 12 programs that advanced to the postseason last year, including five to the NCAA Tournament.
• UCI had a tough draw as it was sent to No. 6/7 Oregon State for a first-round match-up on Saturday, Nov. 9.
• This weekend will be a homecoming for junior Jordan Sanders who grew up in Springfield, Mo., and attended Kickapoo High School.
• Sanders averaged 19.5 points and 6.5 rebounds over the first two games to earn the initial Big West Player of the Week award.
• Sanders, a first-team All-Big West selection, is one of the NCAA's top-five returning scorers after averaging 20.3 ppg last year.
• The Anteaters won their season opener for the third-straight year, defeating SJSU, 79-77 (Nov. 5).
• The 'Eaters return eight of their 10 letterwinners from last year's squad that went 20-11 overall.
• It was the third 20-win season in school history, and first since 1984-85 (21).
• UC Irvine has increased its win total in each of head coach Tamara Inoue's three years at the helm.
• UCI was picked to finish first in the Big West Preseason Coaches Poll and second in the Big West Preseason Media Poll. 

SCOUTING THE FIELD
Davidson (1-1), which was picked to finish fifth in the Atlantic 10 Conference, defeated Georgetown, 66-52, in its season opener, before falling at Drexel, 74-63, in the first round of the Preseason WNIT. Sarah Donovan is averaging a double-double (13.0 ppg, 11.0 rpg), while Katie Turner is tops on the squad with 17.0 points per outing.
 
Defending Big Sky champion Portland State (1-1) was predicted to finish third in the conference's preseason coaches' poll. The Vikings routed Multnomah in their season opener, but dropped an 82-57 decision at Boise State to start the Preseason WNIT. Tatiana Streun leads PSU with 13.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per contest. Desirae Hansen also has a team-best 15.0 ppg.
 
Kansas City (1-1) was selected to finish third in the Western Athletic Conference Preseason Poll. The Roos kicked off the year with a win, defeating Denver, 83-79. They then suffered an 89-60 defeat at Pacific in the Preseason WNIT. Emily Ivory is averaging a team-best 17.0 points per game.
 
SERIES RECORDS
This is the first meeting between UC Irvine and Davidson. The Anteaters have also never faced Kansas City in their 45-year history.
 
The 'Eaters trail in their all-time series with Portland State, 9-4, but won the most recent meeting on Dec. 18, 2018, as they topped the Vikings, 73-68, on the road. Jordan Sanders anchored the effort, pouring in a career-high 34 points, while Lauren Saiki had a double-double with 13 points and 10 assists. The two teams are already scheduled to face each other later this year in Irvine (Dec. 2).
 
BIG WEST PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Junior Jordan Sanders earned the first Big West Player of the Week award of the season the conference office announced Monday afternoon. Sanders was recognized after averaging a team-best 19.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in two games last week. She finished with 16 points and eight boards in the season-opening win over San José State before dropping 23 points in 24 minutes at No. 6/7 Oregon State.
 
OPENING NIGHT
The 'Eaters started the 2019-20 campaign with a 79-77 win over San José State on Nov. 5. They are now 3-1 in season openers in the Tamara Inoue era, and have been 1-0 in each of the last three years. In 2018-19, UCI defeated Life Pacific College (NAIA), 105-31. The 74-point triumph tied the second-largest margin of victory in program history. In 2017-18, the Anteaters won in more dramatic fashion, erasing a 13-point deficit in the final minutes with a half-court shot at the buzzer capping the rally for an 87-84 victory over Utah State.
 
CAREER DAY
Junior Alexus Seaton, who averaged 3.5 ppg and 2.5 rpg last year, made a statement in the season-opening win over San José State, establishing career highs in points (17), rebounds (7) and assists (5). For the first time as an 'Eater, the Arlington, Texas, native led the team in scoring.
 
HOMECOMING
Jordan Sanders is heading back to Missouri. Sanders, who came to UCI from Springfield, Mo., attended Kickapoo High School where she was the Ozark Conference Girls' Basketball Player of the Year and a four-time first-team all-league selection. She was also a track star, winning back-to-back state titles in the javelin.
 
COUNTDOWN TO 1,000
Sanders is 89 points away from becoming the 15th player to join UCI women's basketball's 1,000-point club. If she accomplishes the feat this year, she will be the sixth individual in program history to reach 1,000 points by the end of her third season.

JORDAN EFFECT
UC Irvine is in good shape when Jordan Sanders scores 10+ points. In her career, the Anteaters are 33-11 when she reaches double figures, and 12-5 when she hits the 20-point mark. Sanders recently dropped 23 at No. 6/7 Oregon State for her 17th career 20-point game. Her career high is 34, which she established on 15-of-25 shooting at Portland State on Dec. 18, 2018.
 
THE LO-DOWN
Senior Lauren Saiki (Monterey Park, Calif.) has been the Anteaters' assists leader in 37 of 65 career games played.  In the first two contests of 2019-20, she dished out a team-best 16 helpers (8.0 apg), with nine at No. 6/7 Oregon State and seven vs. San José State. She hit double figures twice last year with a career-high 13 dimes (1 turnover) in a 77-61 win over Indiana State. In two-plus seasons at UCI, Saiki has amassed 248 assists, putting her one away from entering the program's all-time top-10.
 
ACCESS DENIED
UC Irvine, which ranked 22nd in the nation in turnovers forced last year, has continued to put the defensive pressure on its opponents in 2019-20. The Anteaters scored 24 points off 18 SJSU miscues in the season opener, and forced No. 6/7 Oregon State into 16 turnovers. The 'Eaters  also held an 8-to-1 advantage in blocked shots against the Spartans. Their eight blocks were the most in a game since Dec. 8, 2017, when they had eight at San Diego State.
 
WINNING WAYS
In 2018-19, UC Irvine recorded the third 20-win season in program history, and first in 34 years. The 'Eaters have increased their win total in each of Tamara Inoue's three years as head coach. They upped their number of victories by one in 2016-17, 12 in 2017-18 and two in 2018-19.
 
THE TURNAROUND
The Anteaters made their biggest jump in 2017-18 with their highest win total (18) and first postseason appearance since 1994-95. They saw a 12.5-game improvement from 2016-17, which marked the second-best turnaround in all of NCAA Division I.
 
GROWING UP
UC Irvine is primed to continue its winning ways with 10 members from last year's team returning (8 letterwinners, 2 redshirts). For the first time since Inoue's initial season at the helm when she inherited five seniors, the 'Eaters will have more upperclassmen than underclassmen. Their roster is comprised of three seniors, six juniors and five freshmen.
 
EXPERIENCE MATTERS
The 'Eaters return over 70% of their scoring, rebounding, assists, steals and blocks. Jordan Sanders was tops on the squad last year with 547 points (20.3 ppg) and 193 rebounds (7.1 rpg). Lauren Saiki also led the way with 134 assists (4.3 apg), while ranking second in scoring (11.9 ppg) and steals (60).
 
PRESEASON PREDICTIONS
For the first time in program history, the Anteaters were picked to finish first in the Big West Preseason Coaches Poll. They received six of the nine first-place votes to top the list with 77 points. Three-time defending regular season champion UC Davis was a close second with 70 points (two first-place votes). UC Riverside collected the final first-place nod and came in third with 60 points. Jordan Sanders was selected to the preseason all-conference team for the second year in a row. Sanders and Lauren Saiki also made the media's Preseason All-Big West Team.
 
UP NEXT
UC Irvine returns to the friendly confines of the Bren Events Center to host Loyola Marymount on Tuesday, Nov. 19. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m.