Saturday, January 4
Cambridge, Mass.
11:00 AM
UC Irvine
at
Harvard
‘Eaters Conclude Non-Conference Schedule at Harvard
January 02, 2020 | Men's Basketball
FOLLOW THE ANTEATERS
UC Irvine (8-7) at Harvard (10-4)
Saturday, Jan. 4 |11:00 a.m. PT
Lavietes Pavilion (1,636)| Cambridge, Mass.
KUCI Radio | Live Stats | TV: ESPN+
UC Irvine concludes non-conference play across the county at Harvard for a mid-day game on Saturday, Jan. 4 at 11 a.m. PT.
GAME NOTES
OPENING TIPS
> The Anteaters moved to 8-7 (.533) on the season after defeating Pacific, 69-56, to close out 2019 on Dec. 28. UCI will finish with a .500 non-conference record or better for the fifth time under head coach Russell Turner
> The 'Eaters are 7-1 when leading at halftime but have struggled to win when trailing at half time, going 1-5
> Head Coach Russell Turner is two wins away from becoming UCI's all-time winningiest coach, surpassing Pat Douglass (197 wins). A win at Harvard would have him tied with Douglass at 197 career wins. He is four wins away from reaching 200 which would make him just the 7th coach in Big West history to reach that milestone
> Harvard is ranked 14th in the CollegeInsider.com mid-major poll and is riding a five-game win streak
Career Milestones
> Senior Evan Leonard became the 28th player in school history to accumulate 1,000 career points after scoring 15 against CBU. He is 6th in the Big West in active career points and leads the conference in career steals (119)
> Senior guard Eyassu Worku became the 29th Anteater to reach 1,000 career points after scoring 10 against Pacific Union. Worku became the 10th Anteaters in school history to eclipse 300 assists. He did so at Colorado Monday, Nov. 18. He is the Big West's active career leader in assists (345) and 5th in scoring (1054)
> Senior Tommy Rutherford will be next in line to hit the 1,000 point mark. He has 976 points on his career. Rutherford eclipsed the 600 rebound mark against Pacific (Dec. 28) and is second in the Big West in active rebounds (600). He will be just the 13th Anteater to score 1,000 career points and grab 600 rebounds
> UCI has outscored opponents 518-260 in the paint this season. UCI has held the advantage in paint points in 13-out-of-15 games so far
> RS sophomore Collin Welp comes off the bench and leads UCI in scoring (14.0 ppg) and in rebounding (6.5 rpg)
> UCI has out-rebounded all but two of its opponents this season. The Anteaters rank sixth nationally in rebounding margin (+10.8) and third in total rebounds (615)
> UCI is 14th nationally in field goal percentage defense, holding teams to 37.1% shooting from the field
> UCI has won its last three games played at the Bren by margins of 10+ points including a 77-56 win over Eastern Michigan. The Anteaters are 78-21 at home over the last seven years
With a win Saturday … Head coach Russell Turner would reach his 197th career win, tying him for the most wins in UCI history … UCI would achieve nine or more non-conference wins for the fourth time under Turner … Improve to 3-0 all-time against Harvard
UCI ENDS 2019 WITH WIN OVER PACIFIC
> UCI led by as many as 21 points in the second half and held off a late surge from Pacific to earn a 69-56 victory on Dec. 28
> Collin Welp had a game-high 17 points and led the 'Eaters in scoring for the 7th time this season
> UCI was out-rebounded for just the second time this season
> Tommy Rutherford finished with 10 points while Brad Greene grabbed a team-best nine rebounds
> UCI held the Tigers to just 15.4% shooting from long range
ABOUT THE CRIMSON
> Harvard is 10-4 on the season with recent road wins over Cal, 71-63, and San Francisco, 84-81
> The Crimson are riding a five-game winning streak that dates back to Dec. 1
> UCI holds a 2-0 record over Harvard in the all-time series. The two teams last met in 2007 as UCI won an 80-77 decision in overtime in Cambridge
> Bryce Aiken, Chris Lewis and Noah Kirkwood are averaging double-digit points with 16.7, 11.6 and 11.0 ppg, respectively
> Lewis averages a team-best 6.5 rpg
> Harvard is coached by Tommy Amaker in his 13th season. He is Harvard's winningiest coach with a 240-135 record
QUICK HITS
> Tommy Rutherford is UCI's active games played leader with 123 consecutive games
> Collin Welp has led the team in scoring in 12 games
> UCI is 7-2 when dishing out the same or more assists as its opponent
SENIOR LEADERS
> Eyassu Worku, Evan Leonard, Tommy Rutherford and John Edgar Jr. have all played together since they were all sophomores in 2017-18. The four seniors have started a combined 259 games
> Through 15 games, Worku leads the team with 61 assists (4.2 apg) and is second in scoring (11.7 ppg). Rutherford is third on the team in scoring (10.1) while Leonard is fourth (9.5 ppg)
> Worku, Leonard and Rutherford are All-Big West Conference selections
> Rutherford is shooting a team-best 69.0% (58-84) from the floor while Worku is shooting 40.0% from three-point range
BRAD IS BACK
> Coming off a redshirt season in 2018-19, RS junior Brad Greene is making an immediate impact for UCI. He is averaging 6.5 rebounds per game and is fifth in scoring (8.9 ppg). Greene is shooting 60.9 percent from the floor. He recorded a career-high 12 rebounds against TCU (Nov. 21) and a season-high 14 points against Boise State (Nov. 15)
THE WELP EFFECT
> RS Sophomore Collin Welp comes off the bench and is UCI's leading scorer (14.0 ppg) and leading rebounder (6.5 rpg). He is averaging 23.6 minutes per game. Welp had a career-high 18 rebounds against Detroit Mercy (11/24) and has posted two double-doubles on the season. He finished with a career-high 31 points and 7 three's made against Eastern Michigan (Nov. 30)
NEWS AND NOTES
> Eyassu Worku was named to the Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational All-Tournament Team in December
> Collin Welp was named to the HoopsHD.com mid-season Big West All-Conference Team
> UCI plays 14 games at the Bren including three DI non-conference opponents
> Six postseason teams dot the 2019-20 schedule including four 20+ win teams
> The Anteaters were picked to finish first in the Big West Preseason Poll with 258 points. UCI tied UCSB with 15 first-place votes
> Evan Leonard was selected to the six-member preseason all-conference team
> UCI returns four starters and nine letterwinners from last year's championship team including seniors Evan Leonard, Eyassu Worku, Tommy Rutherford and John Edgar Jr.
> The Anteaters have amassed a 76-19 record at home over the last seven years
> The 'Eaters finished fourth in the nation allowing opponents to shoot just 38.2% from the field, ranked sixth in the nation in total rebounds (1,478), 13th in rebound average (39.95) and ninth in rebound margin (7.0)
> in 2018-19 UCI held teams under 50% in field goal percentage in 29 games, had the nation's best two-point defense (opponents shot 40.7%) and were 21st in points allowed (63.1)
> UCI went 14-0 when holding an opponent to 60 points or less and have won 25 straight games dating back to last season when hitting that mark. Since 2012-13, UCI is 93-5 when doing so
> UCI finished with the stingiest scoring defense in the conference allowing 63.6 points per game. UCI also led the conference in rebounding (39.95 rpg) for the sixth time in program history and five in the last six years years
> The Anteaters return three all-conference selections in seniors Evan Leonard, Tommy Rutherford and Eyassu Worku
> Leonard returns as the team's leading scorer averaging 11.3 ppg last season. He is a two time all-conference selection and was named to the Big West All-Tournament Team in 2018-19. Leonard holds the school record with 44 consecutive free throws made and led the team in steals (48) and three-point field goal percentage (41.4) a year ago
> Worku led the team in assists last year (87) averaging 2.9 assists per game. He started 26 games and averaged 7.0 points per game
> Rutherford, a two time all-conference selection, started 32 games last season averaging 6.7 ppg and 4.3 rpg. He led the team in field goal percentage (53.5) and totaled 26 blocks, averaging 16.1 minutes per game
> Sophomore Collin Welp was named to the Big West All-Tournament Team after scoring a career-high 23 points in the championship game. Last season, he came off the bench to finish third on the team in scoring (8.6 ppg) and shot 51.2% from the field. Welp averaged 15.9 minutes per game and 4.3 rebounds per game
> Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook ranked UC Irvine No. 2 in its Big West preseason poll. It also picked Evan Leonard to the preseason all-conference team
> UCI will see redshirts Brad Greene, Devin Cole and Aiden Krause back in action
> Greene returns to the court after using his red shirt year last season. In 2017-18, he averaged 4.6 ppg and 3.9 rpg.
> The Anteaters add seven newcomers including freshman Jeron Artest, Justin Hohn, Ofure Ujadughele, Isaiah Lee, Emmanuel Tshimanga, Austin Johnson and Dean Keeler
UP NEXT
> UCI opens conference play at home against Hawaii Saturday, January 11 at 7 p.m.
UC Irvine (8-7) at Harvard (10-4)
Saturday, Jan. 4 |11:00 a.m. PT
Lavietes Pavilion (1,636)| Cambridge, Mass.
KUCI Radio | Live Stats | TV: ESPN+
UC Irvine concludes non-conference play across the county at Harvard for a mid-day game on Saturday, Jan. 4 at 11 a.m. PT.
GAME NOTES
OPENING TIPS
> The Anteaters moved to 8-7 (.533) on the season after defeating Pacific, 69-56, to close out 2019 on Dec. 28. UCI will finish with a .500 non-conference record or better for the fifth time under head coach Russell Turner
> The 'Eaters are 7-1 when leading at halftime but have struggled to win when trailing at half time, going 1-5
> Head Coach Russell Turner is two wins away from becoming UCI's all-time winningiest coach, surpassing Pat Douglass (197 wins). A win at Harvard would have him tied with Douglass at 197 career wins. He is four wins away from reaching 200 which would make him just the 7th coach in Big West history to reach that milestone
> Harvard is ranked 14th in the CollegeInsider.com mid-major poll and is riding a five-game win streak
Career Milestones
> Senior Evan Leonard became the 28th player in school history to accumulate 1,000 career points after scoring 15 against CBU. He is 6th in the Big West in active career points and leads the conference in career steals (119)
> Senior guard Eyassu Worku became the 29th Anteater to reach 1,000 career points after scoring 10 against Pacific Union. Worku became the 10th Anteaters in school history to eclipse 300 assists. He did so at Colorado Monday, Nov. 18. He is the Big West's active career leader in assists (345) and 5th in scoring (1054)
> Senior Tommy Rutherford will be next in line to hit the 1,000 point mark. He has 976 points on his career. Rutherford eclipsed the 600 rebound mark against Pacific (Dec. 28) and is second in the Big West in active rebounds (600). He will be just the 13th Anteater to score 1,000 career points and grab 600 rebounds
> UCI has outscored opponents 518-260 in the paint this season. UCI has held the advantage in paint points in 13-out-of-15 games so far
> RS sophomore Collin Welp comes off the bench and leads UCI in scoring (14.0 ppg) and in rebounding (6.5 rpg)
> UCI has out-rebounded all but two of its opponents this season. The Anteaters rank sixth nationally in rebounding margin (+10.8) and third in total rebounds (615)
> UCI is 14th nationally in field goal percentage defense, holding teams to 37.1% shooting from the field
> UCI has won its last three games played at the Bren by margins of 10+ points including a 77-56 win over Eastern Michigan. The Anteaters are 78-21 at home over the last seven years
With a win Saturday … Head coach Russell Turner would reach his 197th career win, tying him for the most wins in UCI history … UCI would achieve nine or more non-conference wins for the fourth time under Turner … Improve to 3-0 all-time against Harvard
UCI ENDS 2019 WITH WIN OVER PACIFIC
> UCI led by as many as 21 points in the second half and held off a late surge from Pacific to earn a 69-56 victory on Dec. 28
> Collin Welp had a game-high 17 points and led the 'Eaters in scoring for the 7th time this season
> UCI was out-rebounded for just the second time this season
> Tommy Rutherford finished with 10 points while Brad Greene grabbed a team-best nine rebounds
> UCI held the Tigers to just 15.4% shooting from long range
ABOUT THE CRIMSON
> Harvard is 10-4 on the season with recent road wins over Cal, 71-63, and San Francisco, 84-81
> The Crimson are riding a five-game winning streak that dates back to Dec. 1
> UCI holds a 2-0 record over Harvard in the all-time series. The two teams last met in 2007 as UCI won an 80-77 decision in overtime in Cambridge
> Bryce Aiken, Chris Lewis and Noah Kirkwood are averaging double-digit points with 16.7, 11.6 and 11.0 ppg, respectively
> Lewis averages a team-best 6.5 rpg
> Harvard is coached by Tommy Amaker in his 13th season. He is Harvard's winningiest coach with a 240-135 record
QUICK HITS
> Tommy Rutherford is UCI's active games played leader with 123 consecutive games
> Collin Welp has led the team in scoring in 12 games
> UCI is 7-2 when dishing out the same or more assists as its opponent
SENIOR LEADERS
> Eyassu Worku, Evan Leonard, Tommy Rutherford and John Edgar Jr. have all played together since they were all sophomores in 2017-18. The four seniors have started a combined 259 games
> Through 15 games, Worku leads the team with 61 assists (4.2 apg) and is second in scoring (11.7 ppg). Rutherford is third on the team in scoring (10.1) while Leonard is fourth (9.5 ppg)
> Worku, Leonard and Rutherford are All-Big West Conference selections
> Rutherford is shooting a team-best 69.0% (58-84) from the floor while Worku is shooting 40.0% from three-point range
BRAD IS BACK
> Coming off a redshirt season in 2018-19, RS junior Brad Greene is making an immediate impact for UCI. He is averaging 6.5 rebounds per game and is fifth in scoring (8.9 ppg). Greene is shooting 60.9 percent from the floor. He recorded a career-high 12 rebounds against TCU (Nov. 21) and a season-high 14 points against Boise State (Nov. 15)
THE WELP EFFECT
> RS Sophomore Collin Welp comes off the bench and is UCI's leading scorer (14.0 ppg) and leading rebounder (6.5 rpg). He is averaging 23.6 minutes per game. Welp had a career-high 18 rebounds against Detroit Mercy (11/24) and has posted two double-doubles on the season. He finished with a career-high 31 points and 7 three's made against Eastern Michigan (Nov. 30)
NEWS AND NOTES
> Eyassu Worku was named to the Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational All-Tournament Team in December
> Collin Welp was named to the HoopsHD.com mid-season Big West All-Conference Team
> UCI plays 14 games at the Bren including three DI non-conference opponents
> Six postseason teams dot the 2019-20 schedule including four 20+ win teams
> The Anteaters were picked to finish first in the Big West Preseason Poll with 258 points. UCI tied UCSB with 15 first-place votes
> Evan Leonard was selected to the six-member preseason all-conference team
> UCI returns four starters and nine letterwinners from last year's championship team including seniors Evan Leonard, Eyassu Worku, Tommy Rutherford and John Edgar Jr.
> The Anteaters have amassed a 76-19 record at home over the last seven years
> The 'Eaters finished fourth in the nation allowing opponents to shoot just 38.2% from the field, ranked sixth in the nation in total rebounds (1,478), 13th in rebound average (39.95) and ninth in rebound margin (7.0)
> in 2018-19 UCI held teams under 50% in field goal percentage in 29 games, had the nation's best two-point defense (opponents shot 40.7%) and were 21st in points allowed (63.1)
> UCI went 14-0 when holding an opponent to 60 points or less and have won 25 straight games dating back to last season when hitting that mark. Since 2012-13, UCI is 93-5 when doing so
> UCI finished with the stingiest scoring defense in the conference allowing 63.6 points per game. UCI also led the conference in rebounding (39.95 rpg) for the sixth time in program history and five in the last six years years
> The Anteaters return three all-conference selections in seniors Evan Leonard, Tommy Rutherford and Eyassu Worku
> Leonard returns as the team's leading scorer averaging 11.3 ppg last season. He is a two time all-conference selection and was named to the Big West All-Tournament Team in 2018-19. Leonard holds the school record with 44 consecutive free throws made and led the team in steals (48) and three-point field goal percentage (41.4) a year ago
> Worku led the team in assists last year (87) averaging 2.9 assists per game. He started 26 games and averaged 7.0 points per game
> Rutherford, a two time all-conference selection, started 32 games last season averaging 6.7 ppg and 4.3 rpg. He led the team in field goal percentage (53.5) and totaled 26 blocks, averaging 16.1 minutes per game
> Sophomore Collin Welp was named to the Big West All-Tournament Team after scoring a career-high 23 points in the championship game. Last season, he came off the bench to finish third on the team in scoring (8.6 ppg) and shot 51.2% from the field. Welp averaged 15.9 minutes per game and 4.3 rebounds per game
> Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook ranked UC Irvine No. 2 in its Big West preseason poll. It also picked Evan Leonard to the preseason all-conference team
> UCI will see redshirts Brad Greene, Devin Cole and Aiden Krause back in action
> Greene returns to the court after using his red shirt year last season. In 2017-18, he averaged 4.6 ppg and 3.9 rpg.
> The Anteaters add seven newcomers including freshman Jeron Artest, Justin Hohn, Ofure Ujadughele, Isaiah Lee, Emmanuel Tshimanga, Austin Johnson and Dean Keeler
UP NEXT
> UCI opens conference play at home against Hawaii Saturday, January 11 at 7 p.m.
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