UC Irvine (15-5, 5-3 Big West) at
Long Beach State (7-15, 4-5 Big West)
Date: Thursday, Feb. 14
Time: 7 p.m. (PST)
Location: Walter Pyramid (4,200) - Long Beach, Calif.
Watch // Listen on KUCI // Live Stats

UC Irvine (15-5, 5-3 Big West) at
UC Santa Barbara (5-17, 2-7 Big West)
Date: Saturday, Feb. 16
Time: 4 p.m. (PST)
Location: The Thunderdome (6,000) - Santa Barbara, Calif.
Watch // Listen on KUCI // Live Stats

UC Irvine Game Notes

IRVINE, Calif. - The UC Irvine women's basketball team hits the road this week, starting with a 7 p.m. Black & Blue Rivalry game at Long Beach State on Thursday, Feb. 14. The Anteaters will then make their way to UC Santa Barbara for a 4 p.m. showdown on Saturday, Feb. 16.
 
STORYLINES
• UC Irvine dropped out of the College Insider Mid-Major Poll for the first time since Dec. 4.
• UCI, which was receiving votes, had been in the top-25 for nine consecutive weeks with a high ranking of 15th on Jan. 15.
• The Anteaters (15-5) own their best record through 20 games since 1984-85 when they were 16-4.
• Andee Ritter broke a single-game school record with eight 3-pointers made in a 73-57 win over Cal Poly on Jan. 26.
• She has 189 career threes, putting her just nine away from tying and 10 from breaking UCI's 26-year old all-time record.
• Ritter is also tops in the conference with 2.5 steals/game and is fourth in program history with 177 career takeaways.
• The 'Eaters were the first Big West team to 10 wins as they reached double digits in their non-conference finale.
• Through Feb. 12, UC Irvine is second in the nation in turnover margin, eighth in turnovers forced and 17th in steals.
• UCI has forced at least 20 turnovers 14 times, and had a season-high 36 against Life Pacific on Nov. 7.
• The 'Eaters occupy three of the top-4 spots on the Big West leaderboard for total steals: Ritter (48), Saiki (43) and Talbert (41).
• The Anteaters have trailed by double digits 10 times this year, but came back to win five of those games.
• Nine of UCI's 10 active roster members have logged 10+ minutes per contest, while seven are averaging at least 5.0 ppg.
• Jordan Sanders, who has scored 20+ points 10 times, is second in the Big West and 18th in the nation with 20.5 ppg.
• In the last four contests, she has upped that number to 23.4 ppg, while shooting 53% FGs and 92% FTs (made 21-straight).
• Sanders netted a career-high 34 points (15-25 FG) at Portland State on Dec. 18.
• Her 34 points are tied for the fifth-most in UCI single-game history, while her 15 made field goals rank third.
• Lauren Saiki ranks first in the conference and 29th in all of NCAA Division I with 5.3 assists per outing.
 
LAST TIME OUT
UC Irvine came back from a 12-point third-quarter deficit to top Cal State Fullerton, 65-61, last Saturday at the Bren Events Center. The Anteaters outscored the Titans, 23-7, in the fourth period. Jordan Sanders led UCI with a game-high 18 points, to go along with eight rebounds and two blocks. Brooke Bayman also finished with a season-best 13 points and four boards. Lauren Saiki added 12 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals.
 
SCOUTING THE 49ERS
Long Beach State (7-15, 4-5 Big West) defeated Hawai'i, 56-40, on Saturday, Feb. 9, for its second win in its last three games. Shanaijah Davison leads the 49ers with 14.1 points per outing. Naomi Hunt has also made a team-best 46 3-pointers and is averaging 10.5 points per contest.
 
SERIES RECORD
UC Irvine trails in its all-time series with Long Beach State, 60-15. Last year, the Anteaters dominated the Beach on the road, 100-81, for their first win over the 49ers in four years. LBSU was able to avenge that loss, however, as it came out on top, 80-73, in Irvine.
 
A GLANCE AT UCSB
UC Santa Barbara (5-17, 2-7 Big West) snapped a five-game losing streak with a 61-60 victory over CSUN last weekend. Coco Miller has paced the Gauchos with 13.1 points per outing. Natalia Bruening is also averaging 9.9 points and 5.9 rebounds, while Danae Miller has registered 9.1 points and 3.9 assists per contest.
 
SERIES RECORD
UC Irvine trails in its all-time series with UC Santa Barbara, 64-31. The Anteaters won the first meeting of the season, 74-68, at the Bren Events Center on Jan. 31. Jordan Sanders led UCI with 28 points and five rebounds. Lauren Saiki also finished with 14 points, while Sabrina Engelstad added 12 points, five boards and two blocks. Coco Miller anchored the Gaucho effort with 19 points.
 
IN THE RANKINGS
UC Irvine made its debut in the College Insider Mid-Major Poll at No. 24 on Dec. 4, and remained in the top-25 for nine consecutive weeks. The 'Eaters, who had reached as high as No. 15, dropped out of the rankings, but were still receiving votes in the latest poll released on Feb. 12. One of UCI's five losses this year came to Oregon, which was seventh in both the AP and USA Today Polls at the time. The Ducks were the Anteaters' first nationally ranked opponent since Arizona State in 2006.
 
CHART CLIMBER
Senior Andee Ritter ranks second among UC Irvine's all-time leaders with 189 career 3-pointers made. She needs nine more to tie, and 10 more to break the record of 198, which was established by Kathy Lizarraga (1988-92) over 25 years ago. The Medford, Ore., native already topped Lizarraga's 28-year old single-season program record with 87 3-pointers as a sophomore, and set UCI's single-game high with a career-best eight treys vs. Cal Poly on Jan. 26. Ritter is also fourth in school history with 177 career steals, needing only 12 more to move into sole possession of first in the Anteater annals.
 
POW TIMES THREE
Sophomore Jordan Sanders took home her third Big West Player of the Week award on Dec. 17. She was honored following a then career-best 29 points (13-18 FG) and six steals in an 84-69 win at Portland. Just a couple weeks earlier, Sanders became the first Anteater in program history to earn back-to-back Big West POW accolades. She received the nod on Nov. 26 & Dec. 3 after recording four-straight 20-point outings. On Nov. 28, Sanders was also named to the NCAA's Starting 5, which recognizes players with standout performances from around the country.
 
DEFENSIVE PRESENCE
The 'Eaters have been locked in on the defensive end, forcing more than 20 turnovers in 14 of their 20 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 seven 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 Feb. 12, UC Irvine ranks second in the nation in turnover margin (9.6), eighth in turnovers forced (22.4/gm) and 17th in steals (11.5/gm).
 
COMEBACK KIDS
The Anteaters have come back from a double-digit deficit in five of their last seven wins. In those five games, UCI outscored its opponents in the second half, 195-128 (13.4 ppg). Most recently, the 'Eaters erased a 12-point third-quarter deficit to top Cal State Fullerton, 65-61. It was the second time this season they won when trailing with five minutes left in regulation.
 
WIN NO. 10
UC Irvine was the only Big West school to reach double figures in the win column during non-conference play. It was the fastest the Anteaters have hit the 10-win mark in program history. It is also the first time since 2010-11 and 2011-12 that UCI has recorded back-to-back 10-win seasons.
 
HOME COOKING
Since the start of the 2017-18 campaign, the 'Eaters are 19-6 (.760) at the Bren Events Center. Their 19 victories in less than two full seasons have matched their total from the previous four years combined.
 
THE BIG THREE
Senior Andee Ritter, junior Lauren Saiki and sophomore Jordan Sanders have accounted for 56 percent of UC Irvine's scoring. They have combined for 827 points (41.4 ppg), and have produced 42 double-figure scoring games, 14 of which have been 20+ performances.
 
JORDAN EFFECT
UC Irvine is in good shape when sophomore Jordan Sanders scores 10+ points. In her young career, the Anteaters are 28-6 when she reaches double figures, and 11-1 when she hits the 20-point mark. The Springfield, Mo., native has played a key role in UCI's success this year, putting up double digits in 18 of 19 games played. Ten of those have been 20+ performances, including three in Big West action with 29 vs. Hawai'i (Feb. 7), 28 vs. UC Santa Barbara (Jan. 31) and 20 vs. Cal Poly (Jan. 26). In non-conference play, she poured in a career-high 34 points on 15-of-25 shooting at Portland State on Dec. 18. Just two days earlier, she had a then career-best 29 points and six steals at Portland. Sanders also finished with a 20-point double-double against Indiana State (25pts/11rebs) and UNLV (21pts/12rebs) back in November. The 2018 Big West Freshman of the Year ranks second in the league, and 18th in the nation, with 20.5 ppg.
 
THE LO-DOWN
Junior Lauren Saiki (Monterey Park, Calif.) has 12 games with five or more assists this year. Ten of those came in a consecutive stretch from Nov. 24-Jan. 12. She started the streak against Indiana State where she recorded her first double-double as an Anteater with 10 points and a career-high 13 assists. Saiki committed just one turnover in the 77-61 victory over the Sycamores. Her 13 dimes rank third in single-game program history and were the most by an 'Eater since Megan Stafford dished out 15 vs. Cal State Fullerton on Feb. 27, 1997. Saiki went on to notch her second double-double with 13 points and 10 assists at Portland State on Dec. 18. The 5-foot-3 point guard also had a career-high 25 points and two blocks, to go along with four rebounds and five assists at Cal Poly (Jan. 5).
 
UP NEXT
UC Irvine heads to Hawai'i (Feb. 21), before hosting UC Riverside in its Breast Cancer Awareness Game on Saturday, Feb. 23.