Friday, January 29
Irvine, Calif.
4:00 PM
UC Irvine
vs
Hawai'i
'Eaters Welcome Hawai'i to the Bren Events Center This Weekend
January 27, 2021 | Women's Basketball
Hawai'i (3-3, 2-2 Big West) at
UC Irvine (7-5, 4-0 Big West)
Date: Friday, Jan. 29
Time: 4:01 p.m. (PST)
Location: Bren Events Center (5,000) - Irvine, Calif.
Watch on ESPN3 // Listen on KUCI // Live Stats // Follow on Twitter
Hawai'i (3-3, 2-2 Big West) at
UC Irvine (7-5, 4-0 Big West)
Date: Saturday, Jan. 30
Time: 4:01 p.m. (PST)
Location: Bren Events Center (5,000) - Irvine, Calif.
Watch on ESPN3 // Listen on KUCI // Live Stats // Follow on Twitter
UC Irvine Game Notes // Hawai'i Game Notes
IRVINE, Calif. - The UC Irvine women's basketball team will be looking to remain undefeated in Big West play this weekend when it welcomes Hawai'i to the Bren Events Center for a pair of conference games, Jan. 29-30. Both contests are slated for a 4:01 p.m. start and will be broadcast on ESPN3.
STORYLINES
• UCI, which is riding a season-long three-game win streak, has won five of its last six.
• UC Irvine also extended its road win streak to four games after its series sweep at Cal Poly, Jan. 22-23.
• The Anteaters are off to their first 4-0 conference start since 1994-95.
• The 'Eaters are one of three teams that are unbeaten in Big West action.
• They sit atop the league standings with Long Beach State (6-0) and UC Davis (2-0).
• Redshirt freshman Kayla Williams is the reigning Big West Player of the Week after averaging 24.0 ppg in two wins at Cal Poly.
• In the second of back-to-back games, Williams dropped a career-high 32 points on 10-of-22 (7-11 3FG) shooting.
• Her 32 points are tied for 11th in single-game school history, while her seven made threes are tied for third.
• Williams' previous best was 24, which she established vs. Westmont and later matched at UC Santa Barbara.
• She is tops on the team in scoring (15.3 ppg), assists (4.8 apg) and steals (2.3 spg).
• Sophomore Chloe Webb has led UCI in rebounding in each of the last five games.
• Webb has three double-doubles and is averaging a team-best 8.0 rebounds per contest.
• Sophomore Sophia Locandro ranks second on the squad with 10.8 points and 5.4 boards per outing.
• Sophomore Jayde Cadee has knocked down a team-high 20 3-pointers (1.7/game).
• Senior and team captain Haleigh Talbert made her return to the court last weekend after missing five games.
• Talbert averaged 7.5 points, 2.0 assists and 2.0 steals in the two-game series at Cal Poly after being sidelined since Dec. 19.
• Senior Tahlia Garza needs two more boards to join the 500-rebound club.
SCOUTING THE RAINBOW WAHINE
Hawai'i (3-3, 2-2 Big West) picked up its first conference wins last weekend, sweeping Cal State Fullerton in a two-game home series. Amy Atwell has paced the Rainbow Wahine with 11.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per contest. Jadynn Alexander is also averaging 9.8 ppg, while Kasey Neubert has registered a team-leading 7.0 rebounds per outing. The 'Bows have a young squad with 10 newcomers (seven freshmen), and only five returning letterwinners.
SERIES RECORD
UCI trails in its all-time series with Hawai'i, 32-12. The two teams split the regular-season series last year with the Anteaters falling on the road before edging the 'Bows, 72-71, at the Bren Events Center. In the win, Sophia Locandro had a career-high 34 points and 11 rebounds.
BIG WEST NOTABLES
In an effort to reduce travel and emphasize the health and safety of student-athletes, coaches and staff in the middle of a pandemic, the Big West altered its conference schedule so that teams play the same opponent on consecutive days at one site. It was also announced that the Big West Tournament will be played at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. All nine postseason eligible teams will compete in the 2021 championship, March 9-13.
LAST TIME OUT
Kayla Williams scored a career-high 32 points to lift UC Irvine to a 79-70 overtime victory at Cal Poly last Saturday. Williams went 10-for-22 from the field (7-11 3FG), with a couple of clutch threes late in the fourth quarter and OT. She also had five rebounds, five assists and a career-high tying four steals. Chloe Webb narrowly missed her second-straight double-double with nine points and 10 rebounds, while Sophia Locandro added 11 points on a 5-of-7 shooting performance. Jayde Cadee and Haleigh Talbert chipped in nine points each.
After leading from the opening possession, the Anteaters found themselves down by two following a 13-0 Mustang run. Williams then connected from the right wing with 1:32 remaining in regulation to put UCI back on top, but the two teams would ultimately end the fourth in a 64-64 deadlock. The 'Eaters went up by five in the extra period before Cal Poly cut the deficit to 71-70 with one minute on the clock. Williams then stepped up, knocking down her seventh triple to put the game away.
RECORD WATCH
Senior Tahlia Garza ranks seventh in the school record books with 91 blocks. She is nine away from passing Chelsea Mackey and becoming the sixth Anteater in program history to record 100 career blocked shots. Senior Haleigh Talbert sits just outside UCI's all-time top-10 with 94 career 3-pointers made and 118 steals. She needs 13 more threes and 32 steals to etch her name in the record books.
WORKING OVERTIME
After two seasons without an overtime game, the 'Eaters have gone to an extra period twice this year. It is the first time they have had multiple OT games since 2014-15, and multiple OT wins since 2013-14. UCI has fared well this year as it is 2-0 in overtime games, while outscoring its opponents, 37-15, in the five-minute extra period.
TURNOVER TALK
The Anteaters have forced a Big West-leading 228 turnovers, and rank second in the conference with 19.0 TOs forced per game. UC Irvine has caused 17+ miscues in nine-straight outings, including a season-high 26 at San Diego State on Dec. 19.
FIRST FIVE
UCI has used seven different starting lineups in 12 games, but has put the same first five on the court in each of the last three contests. Sophia Locandro and Kayla Williams are the only two 'Eaters who have started every game.
DOUBLE DIGIT MARGIN
Eight of the Anteaters' 12 games, including four of their seven wins, have been decided by 10+ points. Their largest margin of victory this season is 13 which they established against Westmont College (Dec. 9) and in the second meeting at UC Santa Barbara (Dec. 28).
TEAM CAPTAINS
Seniors Haleigh Talbert, Dani Guglielmo and Tahlia Garza have been selected as team captains for the 2020-21 season. The trio was part of head coach Tamara Inoue's first recruiting class and played an integral role in the program's turnaround. As freshmen in 2017-18, they helped the Anteaters to a remarkable 13-win improvement, and in 2018-19, they were key contributors in UCI's first 20-win season in 34 years.
SPLASH SISTERS
Jayde Cadee (20), Kayla Williams (17) and Dani Guglielmo (12) have combined to make 49 of UCI's 64 3-pointers this season. Last year, the 'Eaters set single-season school records with 224 triples and 701 attempts from beyond the arc.
HOME COOKING
Since 2017-18, UCI is 32-15 (.681) at the Bren Events Center. The 32 home victories in three-plus seasons are more than the combined total from the previous six campaigns (2011-17).
PRESEASON PREDICTIONS
UC Irvine was picked to finish second in both the Big West Preseason Coaches and Media Poll. The 'Eaters (101 points) received two first-place votes from the league's 11 head coaches to come in behind four-time defending regular-season champion UC Davis. This is the third year in a row the Anteaters were selected among the top-three in the preseason polls.
MAKING MOVES
Redshirt freshman Kayla Williams is tops on the squad with 15.3 points, 4.8 assists and 2.3 steals per game. She recently earned her first career Big West Player of the Week award after leading UCI to a series sweep at Cal Poly. In the second of back-to-back meetings, the Los Angeles native dropped a career-high 32 points on 10-of-22 shooting (7-11 3FG). Her 32 points are tied for 11th in single-game school history, while her seven threes are tied for third. Williams, who has reached double figures in scoring 10 times, had a previous best of 24 points which she had established in an overtime win vs. Westmont (Dec. 9) and later matched at UC Santa Barbara (Dec. 27). Williams is also the only player in the Big West with a double-digit assist performance this year as she dished out a career-high 10 dimes in a 69-56 victory over the Gauchos on Dec. 28. The 5-foot-7 point guard made her Anteater debut on Nov. 28, marking her first official competition since her high school career ended on Feb. 27, 2019 (21 months).
DOUBLE-DOUBLE TIME
Sophomore Chloe Webb (San Diego) has a team-leading three double-doubles this year. Her first of the season, and of her career, came against Westmont College on Dec. 9, when she put up 14 points and a career-high 15 rebounds. The 5-foot-8 guard was the first 'Eater with 15 boards in a game since Nov. 17, 2016. She also recorded 12 points/10 boards at UCSB on Dec. 27, and 14 points/11 boards at Cal Poly on Jan. 22. Webb has led UC Irvine in rebounding in each of the last five contests. On the season, she is averaging 10.3 points and a team-best 8.0 rebounds per outing. She is shooting 46% from the field (41-for-89).
SHOOTERS TOUCH
Sophomore Jayde Cadee (Melbourne, Australia) has knocked down a team-leading 20 3-pointers through 12 games. She made five threes for a season-high 15 points at San Diego State. On Jan. 9, the 5-foot-11 guard snapped an 0-for-14 slump from beyond the arc by draining the game-tying trey with three seconds on the clock in a 62-60 win over UC Riverside. Cadee, who has 17 career games with multiple 3-pointers made, tied a UCI single-game record with eight threes at Long Beach State last year, and finished the 2019-20 campaign with 59 3-pointers, which ranks fifth in single-season program history.
BACK TO BUSINESS
Sophomore Sophia Locandro, a 2019-20 All-Big West honorable mention selection, has continued to lead the 'Eaters on the court this year. The 6-foot-3 forward ranks second on the squad with 10.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per contest. She has reached double figures in scoring in seven of 12 games played with a season-high 20 points vs. Saint Mary's on Dec. 16. Locandro went 8-for-15 from the field and was 4-of-5 at the free throw line against the Gaels for her seventh career 20-point performance. The Australia native also pulled down a career-high tying 11 rebounds at UC Santa Barbara on Dec. 27. Earlier in December, Locandro was named the Big West Women's Basketball Player of the Week for her effort at LMU (Dec. 3), where she put up 14 points and a team-high eight boards, six of which came on the offensive end.
HEART OVER HEIGHT
Senior Haleigh Talbert (Euless, Texas) has been one of the Anteaters' most consistent all-around players over the last few years as she is the team's active career leader in points (692), assists (166) and steals (118). The 5-foot-4 guard had continued to put up solid numbers to start the 2020-21 campaign before being sidelined with an injury. Talbert made her return to the court after a month away from competition last weekend, and averaged 7.5 points, 2.0 assists and 2.0 steals in a series sweep at Cal Poly. Prior to her injury, Talbert had played in 97 consecutive games.
UP NEXT
UC Irvine will hit the road for two Big West games at CSU Bakersfield, Feb. 5-6. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. with both games being streamed on ESPN3.
UC Irvine (7-5, 4-0 Big West)
Date: Friday, Jan. 29
Time: 4:01 p.m. (PST)
Location: Bren Events Center (5,000) - Irvine, Calif.
Watch on ESPN3 // Listen on KUCI // Live Stats // Follow on Twitter
Hawai'i (3-3, 2-2 Big West) at
UC Irvine (7-5, 4-0 Big West)
Date: Saturday, Jan. 30
Time: 4:01 p.m. (PST)
Location: Bren Events Center (5,000) - Irvine, Calif.
Watch on ESPN3 // Listen on KUCI // Live Stats // Follow on Twitter
UC Irvine Game Notes // Hawai'i Game Notes
IRVINE, Calif. - The UC Irvine women's basketball team will be looking to remain undefeated in Big West play this weekend when it welcomes Hawai'i to the Bren Events Center for a pair of conference games, Jan. 29-30. Both contests are slated for a 4:01 p.m. start and will be broadcast on ESPN3.
STORYLINES
• UCI, which is riding a season-long three-game win streak, has won five of its last six.
• UC Irvine also extended its road win streak to four games after its series sweep at Cal Poly, Jan. 22-23.
• The Anteaters are off to their first 4-0 conference start since 1994-95.
• The 'Eaters are one of three teams that are unbeaten in Big West action.
• They sit atop the league standings with Long Beach State (6-0) and UC Davis (2-0).
• Redshirt freshman Kayla Williams is the reigning Big West Player of the Week after averaging 24.0 ppg in two wins at Cal Poly.
• In the second of back-to-back games, Williams dropped a career-high 32 points on 10-of-22 (7-11 3FG) shooting.
• Her 32 points are tied for 11th in single-game school history, while her seven made threes are tied for third.
• Williams' previous best was 24, which she established vs. Westmont and later matched at UC Santa Barbara.
• She is tops on the team in scoring (15.3 ppg), assists (4.8 apg) and steals (2.3 spg).
• Sophomore Chloe Webb has led UCI in rebounding in each of the last five games.
• Webb has three double-doubles and is averaging a team-best 8.0 rebounds per contest.
• Sophomore Sophia Locandro ranks second on the squad with 10.8 points and 5.4 boards per outing.
• Sophomore Jayde Cadee has knocked down a team-high 20 3-pointers (1.7/game).
• Senior and team captain Haleigh Talbert made her return to the court last weekend after missing five games.
• Talbert averaged 7.5 points, 2.0 assists and 2.0 steals in the two-game series at Cal Poly after being sidelined since Dec. 19.
• Senior Tahlia Garza needs two more boards to join the 500-rebound club.
SCOUTING THE RAINBOW WAHINE
Hawai'i (3-3, 2-2 Big West) picked up its first conference wins last weekend, sweeping Cal State Fullerton in a two-game home series. Amy Atwell has paced the Rainbow Wahine with 11.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per contest. Jadynn Alexander is also averaging 9.8 ppg, while Kasey Neubert has registered a team-leading 7.0 rebounds per outing. The 'Bows have a young squad with 10 newcomers (seven freshmen), and only five returning letterwinners.
SERIES RECORD
UCI trails in its all-time series with Hawai'i, 32-12. The two teams split the regular-season series last year with the Anteaters falling on the road before edging the 'Bows, 72-71, at the Bren Events Center. In the win, Sophia Locandro had a career-high 34 points and 11 rebounds.
BIG WEST NOTABLES
In an effort to reduce travel and emphasize the health and safety of student-athletes, coaches and staff in the middle of a pandemic, the Big West altered its conference schedule so that teams play the same opponent on consecutive days at one site. It was also announced that the Big West Tournament will be played at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. All nine postseason eligible teams will compete in the 2021 championship, March 9-13.
LAST TIME OUT
Kayla Williams scored a career-high 32 points to lift UC Irvine to a 79-70 overtime victory at Cal Poly last Saturday. Williams went 10-for-22 from the field (7-11 3FG), with a couple of clutch threes late in the fourth quarter and OT. She also had five rebounds, five assists and a career-high tying four steals. Chloe Webb narrowly missed her second-straight double-double with nine points and 10 rebounds, while Sophia Locandro added 11 points on a 5-of-7 shooting performance. Jayde Cadee and Haleigh Talbert chipped in nine points each.
After leading from the opening possession, the Anteaters found themselves down by two following a 13-0 Mustang run. Williams then connected from the right wing with 1:32 remaining in regulation to put UCI back on top, but the two teams would ultimately end the fourth in a 64-64 deadlock. The 'Eaters went up by five in the extra period before Cal Poly cut the deficit to 71-70 with one minute on the clock. Williams then stepped up, knocking down her seventh triple to put the game away.
RECORD WATCH
Senior Tahlia Garza ranks seventh in the school record books with 91 blocks. She is nine away from passing Chelsea Mackey and becoming the sixth Anteater in program history to record 100 career blocked shots. Senior Haleigh Talbert sits just outside UCI's all-time top-10 with 94 career 3-pointers made and 118 steals. She needs 13 more threes and 32 steals to etch her name in the record books.
WORKING OVERTIME
After two seasons without an overtime game, the 'Eaters have gone to an extra period twice this year. It is the first time they have had multiple OT games since 2014-15, and multiple OT wins since 2013-14. UCI has fared well this year as it is 2-0 in overtime games, while outscoring its opponents, 37-15, in the five-minute extra period.
TURNOVER TALK
The Anteaters have forced a Big West-leading 228 turnovers, and rank second in the conference with 19.0 TOs forced per game. UC Irvine has caused 17+ miscues in nine-straight outings, including a season-high 26 at San Diego State on Dec. 19.
FIRST FIVE
UCI has used seven different starting lineups in 12 games, but has put the same first five on the court in each of the last three contests. Sophia Locandro and Kayla Williams are the only two 'Eaters who have started every game.
DOUBLE DIGIT MARGIN
Eight of the Anteaters' 12 games, including four of their seven wins, have been decided by 10+ points. Their largest margin of victory this season is 13 which they established against Westmont College (Dec. 9) and in the second meeting at UC Santa Barbara (Dec. 28).
TEAM CAPTAINS
Seniors Haleigh Talbert, Dani Guglielmo and Tahlia Garza have been selected as team captains for the 2020-21 season. The trio was part of head coach Tamara Inoue's first recruiting class and played an integral role in the program's turnaround. As freshmen in 2017-18, they helped the Anteaters to a remarkable 13-win improvement, and in 2018-19, they were key contributors in UCI's first 20-win season in 34 years.
SPLASH SISTERS
Jayde Cadee (20), Kayla Williams (17) and Dani Guglielmo (12) have combined to make 49 of UCI's 64 3-pointers this season. Last year, the 'Eaters set single-season school records with 224 triples and 701 attempts from beyond the arc.
HOME COOKING
Since 2017-18, UCI is 32-15 (.681) at the Bren Events Center. The 32 home victories in three-plus seasons are more than the combined total from the previous six campaigns (2011-17).
PRESEASON PREDICTIONS
UC Irvine was picked to finish second in both the Big West Preseason Coaches and Media Poll. The 'Eaters (101 points) received two first-place votes from the league's 11 head coaches to come in behind four-time defending regular-season champion UC Davis. This is the third year in a row the Anteaters were selected among the top-three in the preseason polls.
MAKING MOVES
Redshirt freshman Kayla Williams is tops on the squad with 15.3 points, 4.8 assists and 2.3 steals per game. She recently earned her first career Big West Player of the Week award after leading UCI to a series sweep at Cal Poly. In the second of back-to-back meetings, the Los Angeles native dropped a career-high 32 points on 10-of-22 shooting (7-11 3FG). Her 32 points are tied for 11th in single-game school history, while her seven threes are tied for third. Williams, who has reached double figures in scoring 10 times, had a previous best of 24 points which she had established in an overtime win vs. Westmont (Dec. 9) and later matched at UC Santa Barbara (Dec. 27). Williams is also the only player in the Big West with a double-digit assist performance this year as she dished out a career-high 10 dimes in a 69-56 victory over the Gauchos on Dec. 28. The 5-foot-7 point guard made her Anteater debut on Nov. 28, marking her first official competition since her high school career ended on Feb. 27, 2019 (21 months).
DOUBLE-DOUBLE TIME
Sophomore Chloe Webb (San Diego) has a team-leading three double-doubles this year. Her first of the season, and of her career, came against Westmont College on Dec. 9, when she put up 14 points and a career-high 15 rebounds. The 5-foot-8 guard was the first 'Eater with 15 boards in a game since Nov. 17, 2016. She also recorded 12 points/10 boards at UCSB on Dec. 27, and 14 points/11 boards at Cal Poly on Jan. 22. Webb has led UC Irvine in rebounding in each of the last five contests. On the season, she is averaging 10.3 points and a team-best 8.0 rebounds per outing. She is shooting 46% from the field (41-for-89).
SHOOTERS TOUCH
Sophomore Jayde Cadee (Melbourne, Australia) has knocked down a team-leading 20 3-pointers through 12 games. She made five threes for a season-high 15 points at San Diego State. On Jan. 9, the 5-foot-11 guard snapped an 0-for-14 slump from beyond the arc by draining the game-tying trey with three seconds on the clock in a 62-60 win over UC Riverside. Cadee, who has 17 career games with multiple 3-pointers made, tied a UCI single-game record with eight threes at Long Beach State last year, and finished the 2019-20 campaign with 59 3-pointers, which ranks fifth in single-season program history.
BACK TO BUSINESS
Sophomore Sophia Locandro, a 2019-20 All-Big West honorable mention selection, has continued to lead the 'Eaters on the court this year. The 6-foot-3 forward ranks second on the squad with 10.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per contest. She has reached double figures in scoring in seven of 12 games played with a season-high 20 points vs. Saint Mary's on Dec. 16. Locandro went 8-for-15 from the field and was 4-of-5 at the free throw line against the Gaels for her seventh career 20-point performance. The Australia native also pulled down a career-high tying 11 rebounds at UC Santa Barbara on Dec. 27. Earlier in December, Locandro was named the Big West Women's Basketball Player of the Week for her effort at LMU (Dec. 3), where she put up 14 points and a team-high eight boards, six of which came on the offensive end.
HEART OVER HEIGHT
Senior Haleigh Talbert (Euless, Texas) has been one of the Anteaters' most consistent all-around players over the last few years as she is the team's active career leader in points (692), assists (166) and steals (118). The 5-foot-4 guard had continued to put up solid numbers to start the 2020-21 campaign before being sidelined with an injury. Talbert made her return to the court after a month away from competition last weekend, and averaged 7.5 points, 2.0 assists and 2.0 steals in a series sweep at Cal Poly. Prior to her injury, Talbert had played in 97 consecutive games.
UP NEXT
UC Irvine will hit the road for two Big West games at CSU Bakersfield, Feb. 5-6. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. with both games being streamed on ESPN3.
Players Mentioned
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