UCI Wraps up Five-Game Road Swing at SMU

Sunday, December 29

Dallas, Texas

12:00 PM PT

UC Irvine

SMU

UCI Wraps up Five-Game Road Swing at SMU

December 27, 2019 | Women's Basketball

UC Irvine (3-9) at
SMU (5-5)
Date: Sunday, Dec. 29
Time: 12 p.m. (PST)
Location: Moody Coliseum (7,000) - Dallas, Texas
Watch // Listen // Live Stats

OPENING TIP
The UC Irvine women's basketball team concludes its season-long five-game road stretch with a trip to Dallas, Texas, where it will square off against SMU on Sunday, Dec. 29. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. (CT)/12 p.m. (PT) at Moody Coliseum.

STORYLINES
• UC Irvine will be looking to snap a seven-game skid, its longest losing streak since 2016-17.
• This is the Anteaters' first game in the state of Texas in five years. They are 6-15 when playing in the Lone Star State.
• It will be a homecoming for three 'Eaters - Melodie Kapinga (Arlington), Alexus Seaton (Fort Worth) and Haleigh Talbert (Euless).
• Eight of UCI's 11 active players have reached double figures in scoring. They have had six different leading scorers this year.
• UC Irvine ranks first in the Big West and is among the top-50 in all of NCAA Division I with 4.5 blocks per game.
• Senior Lauren Saiki leads the Anteaters with 12.7 ppg and 6.7 apg.
• Her assist average is currently among the top-five in the nation.
• Last weekend, Saiki became the sixth 'Eater in program history to reach 300 career assists.
• She is sixth on the school's all-time charts with 312 career helpers.
• Saiki was named to the Husky Classic All-Tournament Team after averaging 13.5 points and 7.0 assists.
• It was her third all-tournament selection this year.
• Junior Alexus Seaton has recorded four consecutive double-figure scoring games.
• She recently established career highs in points (23) and rebounds (9) vs. Vanderbilt.
• UC Irvine was picked to finish first in the Big West Preseason Coaches Poll and second in the Big West Preseason Media Poll.

WITH A WIN...
• UC Irvine would earn its first true road victory of the 2019-20 season.
• It would be the Anteaters' first road win since defeating Hawai'i in Honolulu on Feb. 21.
• The 'Eaters would take the lead in their all-time series with SMU, 2-1.

SCOUTING THE MUSTANGS
SMU (5-5) suffered a 51-46 defeat to UT Arlington in its last outing on Dec. 22. The Mustangs are only averaging 59.4 points per game, but they have held their opponents to 58.3 ppg. They also rank 10th in the NCAA and first in the American Athletic Conference with 45.3 rebounds per contest. Junior forward Johnasia Cash leads the team with 11.4 points, 9.8 boards and 1.9 blocks per game.

SERIES RECORD
UC Irvine and SMU are tied in their all-time series, 1-1. The two teams have not faced each other in 14 years. The Mustangs won the last meeting, 77-51, in Dallas on Dec. 22, 2005.

LAST TIME OUT
UC Irvine led for over 27 minutes, but was unable to hold off San Francisco in a tough 68-61 loss in its Husky Classic finale on Saturday, Dec. 21. Lauren Saiki led the Anteaters with 18 points, nine assists, three rebounds and two steals. She was named to the all-tournament team. Alexus Seaton finished with 12 points, four boards and three assists, while Dani Guglielmo chipped in nine points.

300 AND COUNTING
Senior Lauren Saiki is the sixth Anteater in program history to record 300 career assists. She reached the milestone with the second of her five helpers against Vanderbilt on Dec. 20. Saiki, who is in her third year at UC Irvine after transferring from West Virginia, currently ranks sixth on UCI's all-time list with 312 assists.

THE LO-DOWN
Saiki has been the Anteaters' assists leader in 46 of her 75 career games played. The Monterey Park, Calif., native has dished out a team-best 80 dimes this season, with her 6.7 apg ranking fourth in the nation. In addition, Saiki, who has made a 3-pointer in 14 consecutive games dating back to last year, has reached double figures in scoring eight times with a season-high 20 points coming in a win over Loyola Marymount. She went 4-for-7 from beyond the arc against the Lions.

ALL-TOURNAMENT QUEEN
Saiki earned all-tournament honors in each of UC Irvine's three preseason tournaments. She was selected to the Kansas City Site Preseason WNIT Consolation All-Tournament Team, the Pioneer Thanksgiving Classic All-Tournament Team, and most recently the Husky Classic All-Tournament Team.

TEXAS KIDS
The 'Eaters will have some fans in the stands on Sunday as it is a homecoming for Melodie Kapinga (Arlington), Alexus Seaton (Fort Worth) and Haleigh Talbert (Euless). All three grew up within 40 miles of SMU.

BALANCED ATTACK
Eight Anteaters have reached double figures in scoring this year. Lauren Saiki has put up 10+ points in eight of 12 games. Alexus Seaton, Sophia Locandro, Dani Guglielmo, Chloe Webb and Haleigh Talbert also have multiple double-digit outings, while Jayde Cadee and Yazzy Sa'Dullah round out the group. UC Irvine has had a different leading scorer in six of its 12 games.

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 have forced 16.4 turnovers per game with a season-high 29 against Loyola Marymount. The 'Eaters have also registered 4.5 blocks per outing, which is tops in the Big West and 50th in all of NCAA Division I. They had a season-high 10 blocked shots at Denver, marking the first time they reached double digits in that category since Jan. 27, 2010.

GETTING ON BOARD
Junior Joy Akaegbu-Cleveland (Spokane, Wash.) has been the Anteaters' leading rebounder in three of the last five games, and she is averaging 7.0 rpg during that stretch. Akaegbu-Cleveland had a season-high nine boards in back-to-back outings against Portland State and Southern Utah. Eleven of those 18 rebounds were on the offensive end.

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. 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 then 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. Seaton currently sits at 10.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.5 steals per game.

FRESHMAN IMPACT
The Anteaters' active freshmen have provided quality minutes early in their careers. Chloe Webb (4) and Sophia Locandro (3) have combined for seven double-digit scoring games. Locandro had a season-high 16 points (7-8 FG) at Denver, while Webb put up a collegiate-best 13 points vs. Portland State on Nov. 16. Jayde Cadee added a season-best 12 points on 4-of-9 shooting from beyond the arc in the second meeting with the Vikings (Dec. 2).

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 seasons as head coach, upping their number of victories by one in 2016-17, 12 in 2017-18 and two in 2018-19.

GROWING UP
UC Irvine is primed to continue its winning ways with nine members from last year's team returning (7 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, five juniors and five freshmen.

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. Lauren Saiki made the media's Preseason All-Big West Team.

UP NEXT
UC Irvine will return to the Bren Events Center for the first time in over a month when it plays host to Westcliff University (NAIA) on Monday, Jan. 6.