UC Irvine (16-6, 6-4 Big West) at
Hawai'i (11-13, 7-4 Big West)
Date: Thursday, Feb. 21
Time: 7 p.m. (HT) / 9 p.m. (PT)
Location: Stan Sheriff Center (10,300) - Honolulu, Hawaii
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UC Riverside (12-12, 6-4 Big West) at
UC Irvine (16-6, 6-4 Big West)
Date: Saturday, Feb. 23
Time: 7 p.m. (PST)
Location: Bren Events Center (5,000) - Irvine, Calif.
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UC Irvine Game Notes

IRVINE, Calif. - The UC Irvine women's basketball team closes out a three-game road swing on Thursday, Feb. 21, when it makes its way to Hawai'i for a 7 p.m. (HT)/9 p.m. (PT) showdown with the Rainbow Wahine. The Anteaters then have a quick turnaround as they return home to host UC Riverside at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 23. Saturday will be UCI's Breast Cancer Awareness Game.
 
STORYLINES
• UC Irvine was receiving votes in the latest College Insider Women's Mid-Major Poll released on Feb. 19.
• UCI was previously in the top-25 for nine consecutive weeks (Dec. 4-Feb. 12) with a high ranking of 15th.
• The Anteaters (16-6) own their best record through 22 games since 1984-85 when they were 17-5.
• 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 190 career threes, putting her just eight away from tying and nine from breaking UCI's 26-year old all-time record.
• Ritter is also tops in the conference with 2.4 steals/game and is fourth in program history with 179 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. 17, UC Irvine is third in the nation in turnover margin, ninth in turnovers forced and 18th in steals.
• UCI has forced at least 20 turnovers 15 times, and had a season-high 36 against Life Pacific on Nov. 7.
• The 'Eaters occupy three of the top-5 spots on the Big West leaderboard for total steals: Ritter (50), Saiki (45) and Talbert (41).
• The Anteaters have trailed by double digits 11 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 six are averaging at least 5.0 ppg.
• Jordan Sanders, who has scored 20+ points 11 times, is second in the Big West and 18th in the nation with 20.5 ppg.
• 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 second in the conference and 35th in all of NCAA Division I with 5.2 assists per outing.
 
A GLANCE AT UH
Hawai'i (11-13, 7-4 Big West) moved into a tie for second in the Big West standings after defeating UC Santa Barbara, 72-49, and Long Beach State, 63-49, last week. Makenna Woodfolk leads the Rainbow Wahine with 10.7 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. Tia Kanoa is also tops on the team with 4.7 assists per outing.
 
SERIES RECORD
UC Irvine trails in its all-time series with Hawai'i, 31-10. The Rainbow Wahine won the first meeting of the season, edging UCI, 70-68, at the Bren Events Center on Feb. 7. The Anteaters trailed by as many as 14 and were down by 11 heading into the fourth quarter where they ended up outscoring the 'Bows, 25-16. The 'Eaters were able to pull within two and had the ball with 2.4 seconds on the clock, but their final attempt was off the mark. Jordan Sanders led all players with 29 points, eight rebounds and four blocks. Last year, UC Irvine swept UH for the first time since 1995.
 
SCOUTING THE HIGHLANDERS
UC Riverside (12-12, 6-4 Big West) saw its four-game win streak snapped with a 72-59 loss at UC Davis last Thursday, but bounced back two days later with an 80-66 victory over Cal Poly. Jannon Otto leads the Highlanders with 15.6 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists per contest. Marina Ewodo is also averaging 11.2 points and a team-best 6.9 rebounds.
 
SERIES RECORD
UC Irvine trails in its all-time series with UC Riverside, 39-20. The Highlanders topped the 'Eaters, 88-72, in Riverside on Jan. 17. UCI didn't have an answer for Jannon Otto, who had a game-high 31 points, 12 rebounds and five assists. Lauren Saiki paced the Anteaters with 16 points. Jordan Sanders did not play due to an injury.
 
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, have dropped out of the rankings, but are still receiving votes in the latest poll released on Feb. 19. One of UCI's six 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.
 
COMING UP CLUTCH
Last Thursday, UC Irvine was locked in a defensive battle at Long Beach State. The score was knotted at 46-all and it was 49er ball with four seconds remaining in regulation. What transpired next was nothing short of remarkable. Alexus Seaton came up with a huge steal on the inbounds pass, allowing only two ticks to come off the clock before the 'Eaters called a timeout. That set up the game-winner as Brooke Bayman got it in to Jordan Sanders, who took one dribble before draining a contested 18-foot jumper right before the buzzer for the thrilling 48-46 victory. 
 
CHART CLIMBER
Senior Andee Ritter ranks second among UC Irvine's all-time leaders with 190 career 3-pointers made. She needs eight more to tie, and nine 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 179 career steals, needing only 10 more to move into sole possession of first in the Anteater annals.
 
DEFENSIVE PRESENCE
The 'Eaters have been locked in on the defensive end, forcing 20+ turnovers 15 times. They pressured Life Pacific College into a season-high 36 miscues, thanks to a school-record 25 steals. Through Feb. 17, UCI ranks second in the nation in turnover margin (8.8), eighth in TOs forced (22.0/gm) and 18th in steals (11.3/gm).
 
COMEBACK KIDS
The Anteaters have come back from a double-digit deficit to win five times this year. 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. UC Irvine has also won three games 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 57 percent of UC Irvine's scoring. They have combined for 889 points (40.4 ppg), and have produced 45 double-figure scoring games, 15 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 29-7 when she reaches double figures, and 11-2 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 20 of 21 games played. Eleven of those have been 20+ performances, including four in Big West action with 29 vs. Hawai'i (Feb. 7), 28 vs. UC Santa Barbara (Jan. 31), 25 at UCSB (Feb. 16) 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 13 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 will play at Cal State Fullerton next Wednesday, Feb. 27, before returning to the friendly confines of the Bren Events Center to host league-leading UC Davis on Saturday, March 2.