FOLLOW THE ANTEATERS
UC Irvine (15-10, 7-2) at UC Riverside (14-11, 4-5)
Wednesday, Feb. 12 |7:00 p.m.
SRC Arena | Riverside, Calif.
AM830/KUCI Radio | Live Stats | ESPN3
 
UC Irvine (15-10, 7-2) at Hawai'i (14-8, 5-3)
Saturday, Feb. 15 |9:00 p.m. PT
Stan Sheriff Center | Honolulu, Hawaii
AM830/KUCI Radio | Live Stats | TV: ESPN2

Game Notes

OPENING TIPS
> The Anteaters remain atop the Big West standings with a 7-2 record and moved to 15-10 overall after splitting a pair of games last week. UCI earned an 11-point, 83-72, win over UC Davis before falling at UCSB, 64-61 on Saturday
> The 'Eaters have won at least seven games in their first nine conference matchups for the fourth time in six seasons. The 2014-15, 2015-16 and current 2019-20 teams all started 7-2. Last year's 2018-19 team was 8-1 through nine games
> UCI has not lost back-to-back Big West games since a three-game stretch in 2017
> The Anteaters rank 2nd nationally in rebounding margin (+10.0) and 7th in total rebounds (1,012). UCI has out-rebounded all but four of its opponents this season
> The 'Eaters are 13-1 when leading at halftime
> Since 2012-13, UCI is 97-6 when holding opponents to 60 points or less and 4-1 in 2019-20 when doing so
> Evan Leonard is averaging a team-high 13.9 ppg in conference play. He averaged 9.5 ppg in non-conference action
> Brad Greene has led UCI in scoring and rebounding in the last three games. Greene tallied his sixth double-double of the season against UC Davis on Thursday and is averaging nearly a double-double in conference play (10.4 ppg, 8.8 rpg)
> The Anteaters have won 6 of their 9 Big West games by margins of 10+ points. UCI's 91-61 win over CS Fullerton (Feb. 1) was the first 30-point against a DI team for the 'Eaters this season
> Brad Greene set a new Bren Events Center record against Hawaii (Jan. 11) when he pulled down 21 rebounds. It was the ninth time in UCI history an Anteater grabbed 20+ boards
> RS sophomore Collin Welp comes off the bench and leads UCI in scoring (13.6 ppg) and is second in rebounding (6.3 rpg)
> The Anteaters have outscored every Big West conference opponent in the paint this season by a total of 296-192
> UCI is 10^th nationally in field goal percentage defense, holding teams to 37.8% shooting from the field
> UCI has tried out six different starting lineups this season, the starting five of Leonard, Worku, Rutherford, Greene and Edgar Jr. has the best record at 8-5
> UCI has won 11-straight Big West home games, its last loss came on Jan. 16, 2019 against LBSU
> UCI has won six of its last seven games played at the Bren by margins of 10+ points. The Anteaters are 84-21 at home over the last seven years and 9-1 this season
 
With a win Wednesday… Win 13-straight games against UCR … Win fifth-game in a row at SRC Arena … Sweep the home-and-away series with the Highlanders

ABOUT THE HIGHLANDERS
> UCR is 2-3 since it first meeting with UCI (Jan. 18) where the Anteaters won a 69-53 decision
> UCI has won five-straight games at Riverside and 12-consecutive meetings with the Highlanders and leads the all-time series, 46-24. The 'Eaters have not lost a game to UCR since Feb. 14, 2015
> UCR leads the conference in scoring defense (61.5) and three-point field goals per game (8.2)
> Arinze Chidom is the only Highlander averaging double-digit scoring (11.1 ppg). He also leads the team with 6.8 rebounds per game

ABOUT THE RAINBOW WARRIORS
> Hawai'i stands second in the conference behind UCI with a 5-3 record. The 'Bows are coming off losses at UC Santa Barbara (76-66) and at Cal Poly (79-75). Before last week's losses, UH was riding a four-game winning streak. However, UH has won five-straight home games
> UCI is 16-8 all-time against Hawaii, winning five-straight. UH will face Long Beach State before meeting the 'Eaters on Saturday
> Drew Buggs leads the conference in assists per game (6.2) and total assists (137)
> Eddie Stansberry leads the team with 16.1 points per game

COMEBACK FALLS SHORT IN LOSS AT UCSB
> UCI trailed by 17 points in the second half but came back to take a three-point, 58-55, lead with 2:42 remaining
> The Gauchos made 9-10 free throws down the stretch to seal the win
> Brad Greene led the 'Eaters with 16 points followed by Evan Leonard with 12
> UCI was 7-8 from the free throw line while UCSB went 21-25
> UCI out-rebounded the Gauchos 36-28

UCI UPENDS UC DAVIS, 83-72
> Brad Greene recorded his sixth double-double of the season with a game-high 17 points and 12 rebounds
> Collin Welp (13), Tommy Rutherford (12) and Evan Leonard (10) also finished in double-digit scoring
> UCI won the battle of the paint, 34-18, and out-rebounded the Aggies, 37-26
> The 'Eaters swept the series with UC Davis, also beating the Aggies in Davis, 80-65

QUICK HITS
> Tommy Rutherford is UCI's active games played leader with 133 consecutive games
> Collin Welp has led the team in scoring in 15 games
> Eyassu Worku is ranked 42^nd nationally and second in the Big West in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.30)
> Brad Greene ranked first in the Big West in total rebounds (178) and third in rebounds per game (7.12)
> Greene leads the Big West in field goal percentage (.595)

CAREER MILESTONES
> Senior Tommy Rutherford became the 30th Anteater to hit the 1,000 point mark against CS Fullerton (1/15/20). Rutherford eclipsed the 600 rebound mark against Pacific (Dec. 28) and is second in the Big West in active rebounds (634). He is the 13^th Anteater to score 1,000 career points and grab 600 rebounds
> Senior Evan Leonard became the 28^th player in school history to accumulate 1,000 career points after scoring 15 against CBU. He is 6^th in the Big West in active career points and second in career steals (122)
> 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 second active career leader in assists (353) and 6^th in scoring
> This is the only time in program history that three players in the same graduating class have eclipsed 1,000 career points
> Head Coach Russell Turner became the winningest coach in UCI history after notching his 198th career win against CS Fullerton. Turner reached win 198 in 55 fewer games than Pat Douglass who held the record at 197. He also became just the 7^th coach in Big West history to notch 200 wins against Cal Poly (Jan. 25), and 8^th coach to reach 100 Big West wins
 
BREN RECORD FALLS IN 74-60 WIN OVER HAWAII
> Brad Greene recorded his conference-best fourth double-double, pulling down a career-high 21 rebounds, a Bren Events Center record and the most since Bob Thorton had 22 in 1984. He added 13 points in the win
> Greene is one of 6 players in the country to grab 21+ rebounds this season and one of 9 all-time at UCI
> Greene was named the Big West Player of the Week (Jan.13) for his record-breaking performance

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 291 games
> Through 25 games, Worku leads the team with 99 assists (4.0 apg) and is second in scoring (11.6 ppg). Leonard is third on the team in scoring (11.6) while Rutherford is fourth (9.8 ppg)
> Worku, Leonard and Rutherford are All-Big West Conference selections
> Rutherford is shooting a team-best 66.7% (95-143) from the floor
 
THE WELP EFFECT
> RS Sophomore Collin Welp comes off the bench and is UCI's leading scorer (13.6 ppg) and second-best rebounder (6.3 rpg). He is averaging 24.2 minutes per game. Welp had a career-high 18 rebounds against Detroit Mercy (11/24) and has posted five double-doubles on the season. He finished with a career-high 31 points and 7 three's made against Eastern Michigan (Nov. 30)
 
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 a team-best 7.1 rebounds per game and is fifth in scoring (9.1 ppg). Greene has a team-best six double-doubles this season and grabbed a career-high 21 rebounds against Hawaii (Jan. 11) and a career-high 18 points against CSF (Feb. 1)

NEWS AND NOTES
> Anteater men's basketball legend, Jerry Green, was inducted into the UCI Hall of Fame on Saturday, Feb. 1
 > The Anteaters loss to LBSU (Jan. 22) broke a two year Big West road game win-streak without losing (14-straight games). The loss also snapped a 16-game BWC winning streak. The streak was longest in UCI history
> 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 retired legendary Anteater and current Washington Wizard head coach Scott Brooks' number 12 jersey on Nov. 30 against Eastern Michigan
> 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 '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), 13^th 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 21^st 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 hosts a rematch with Long Beach State Wednesday, Feb, 19 at 7 p.m.