FOLLOW THE ANTEATERS
UC Irvine (1-1) vs. La Verne (0-2)
Tuesday, Nov. 16 |7:00 p.m.
Bren Events Center (5,000) | Irvine, Calif.
KUCI Radio | Live Stats | Watch (ESPN+) | Notes

UC Irvine (1-1) vs. Pepperdine
Saturday, Nov. 20 |6:00 p.m.
Bren Events Center (5,000) | Irvine, Calif.
AM830 and KUCI Radio | Live Stats | Watch (ESPN+) | Notes

UC Irvine continues its home stretch with a game against La Verne Tuesday, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 20 against Pepperdine at 6 p.m.

Please note: Proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test within 72 hours is required to enter the Bren Events Center. Check out the Attendance Policy. UCI has a clear bag policy and requires mobile ticketing.

STORYLINES
> UCI opened the 2021-22 season with a 1-1 record. The Anteaters dropped a road game at New Mexico State, 62-51 before beating Boise State in their home opener, 58-50. UCI has won its home opener for the eighth-consecutive year
> UCI has amassed a 98-22 record at the Bren Events Center over the last nine years including a 10-1 mark at home last season
> The Anteaters are 12-1 over the last two seasons when holding opponents to 60 points or less
> The Anteaters are coming off their ninth-straight winning season and an 18-9 (.667) overall record. UCI went 10-4 in Big West play, the ninth-straight season with double-digit conference wins
> UCI returns 12 players from last year's roster including leading two all-conference selections in Collin Welp (first team) and Dawson Baker (freshman of the year)
> UCI's 2020-21 season ended in the Big West Tournament championship game. The 'Eaters have played in the championship game four-straight seasons
> In total, the Anteaters return 81 percent of their scoring offense and four starters
> The Anteaters opened the season on the road for the first time since 2019 when they earned a 76-73 win at San Diego. That outing marked the last time UCI won its season opener as well
> Last season, UCI finished fourth nationally in fg percentage defense (.387), 16th in rebound margin (7.7), 21st in rebounds per game (39.59) and 25th in total rebounds (1,069)
> The 'Eaters have claimed the Big West regular season title five times in the last eight years with their last title coming during the 2019-20 season
> UCI has made two NCAA appearances in the last six years (2015, 2019) and won the Big West regular season title five times under head coach Russell Turner
> Collin Welp returns for his fifth year as UCI's leading rebounder (7.6 rpg) and scorer (15.1 ppg). Welp is an NABC District 9 All-Region selection and a two-time All-Big West first team selection
> Welp was named on the 2021-22 Lou Henson Award preseason watch list

With a win Tuesday … UCI would win its fourth-consecutive home game, dating back to Feb. 6, 2021 … win four-straight against La Verne

With a win Saturday … UCI would snap a five-game losing streak against Pepperdine

WEEK ONE
> UCI opened the season with a 62-51 loss at New Mexico State. Collin Welp led the Anteaters with 13 points while Dawson Baker had 11 points. Justin Hohn topped the squad with seven rebounds
> The Anteaters won a 58-50 decision in their home opener against Boise State. Welp led the 'Eaters with 11 points and dished out a career high six assists. Baker also scored in double-digits with 10 points
> Austin Johnson tied a career high five blocks and a team-best eight rebounds. The Anteater bench outscored BSU, 22-2

ABOUT LA VERNE
> La Verne is 0-2 on the season with losses to La Sierra (79-57) and Life Pacific (74-71). The Leopards also dropped an exhibition game to San Diego, 103-38
> Richard Reed is in his 14^th season as head coach at La Verne
> The Leopards are averaging 64.0 points per game and 42.0 rebounds per game
> Senior John Malone II leads the team in scoring with 10.0 ppg while Isiah Knox averages a team-best 6.0 rebounds per game
> UCI is 3-0 all-time against La Verne. This will be the first meeting between the two teams since Nov. 2009

ABOUT PEPPERDINE
> Pepperdine started the season 1-1 with a loss at Rice, 63-82, and a win versus Idaho State, 65-60. The Waves play Utah Valley and UC Davis before making the trip to Irvine
> Pepperdine was voted seventh in the WCC preseason poll with no players represented on the preseason All-WCC team
> Houston Mallette is leading the team with 12.5 points per game while Keith Fisher is averaging 6.5 rebounds per game
> Lorenzo Romar is in his fourth-straight season and seventh overall season at Pepperdine
> UCI is 10-14 all-time against Pepperdine. The Anteaters have lost five-straight games to the Waves and are looking for their first win since 2009
> The Anteaters and Waves met last season at SDSU in a neutral site game to open the season. UCI lost, 72-86

NEWS AND NOTES
> Head coach Russell Turner, the winningest coach in school history, has averaged 20.6 wins per season in his 11 years at the helm. He moved to fifth all-time on the Big West's career wins list and ended the season with 227 career wins
> Under Turner, UCI has been a dominant defensive team, consistently ranking among top defensive teams in the nation. For nine years-straight, UCI has finished nationally as a top 30 team in fg percentage defense, finishing has high as third. For five years straight, UCI has finished in the top 25 in total rebounds. For the last four years, UCI has finished in the top 12 in rebound margin, including third in 2019-20
> UCI's non-conference schedule is one of the most difficult in the Russ Turner era and includes four teams that advanced to the postseason including elite eight team, USC. The Anteaters are also set to play a 20-game Big West ledger
> The Anteaters will play 14 homes games including five in the non-conference portion of the schedule
> UCI was picked to finish second in both the Big West preseason coaches' and media polls, behind reigning Big West champion, UC Santa Barbara. The Anteaters received four out of nine first place votes in the coaches' poll and two in the media poll
> Collin Welp was selected to the six-person preseason all-conference team in the coaches' and media polls
> UCI returns four starters and 12 letterwinners from last year's team including Collin Welp, Isaiah Lee, Dawson Baker and JC Butler
> NCAA.com selected Collin Welp as the best current DI men's basketball player to wear No. 40 this season
> Dawson Baker returns as the 'Eaters second-leading scorer (10.7 ppg) from a season ago and was the 2021 Big West Freshman of the Year
> UCI's coaching staff includes two former Anteater players including Mike Wilder and Alex Young. Young is tied for the third youngest assistant men's basketball coach in DI this season
> The Anteaters welcome four new faces to the roster including UNLV transfer sophomore Devin Tillis, a German National Team player in Bent Leuchten, a New Zealand National Team player in Akiva McBirney-Griffin and an Orange County local product in Langston Redfield
> UCI has seven players over 6-9 or taller

UP NEXT
The Anteaters travel to Santa Clara Saturday, Nov. 27 at 4 p.m.