FOLLOW THE ANTEATERS
UC Irvine (3-1) at Santa Clara (5-0)
Saturday, Nov. 27 | 4:30 p.m.
Leavey Center (4,700) | Santa Clara, Calif.
KUCI/AM830 Radio | Live Stats | Watch (WCC Network) | Notes

UC Irvine heads back out on the road for a game at Santa Clara Saturday, Nov. 27 at 4:30 p.m. The game will be streamed on the WCC Network and on KUCI and AM830 radio with David Gascon.

STORYLINES
> UCI is riding a three-game win streak after defeating Boise State, 58-50, La Verne, 100-41, and Pepperdine, 82-48, all at home. The Anteaters are 3-1 on the year with their only loss coming at New Mexico State
> The Anteaters have held their last three opponents to under 60 points and are 3-0 this year when doing so and are 14-1 over the last two seasons when doing so
> UCI currently ranks second nationally in scoring defense (50.2), 8^th in three-point fg defense (.219) and 13^th in fg percentage defense (.341)
> Dawson Baker and Collin Welp lead UCI in scoring, averaging 13.3 points per game. Austin Johnson currently leads the 'Eaters with 6.0 rebounds per game and 2.0 blocks per game
> 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
> UCI has amassed a 100-22 record at the Bren Events Center over the last nine years including 3-0 this season and a five-game home winning streak that dates back to last February
> 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 Saturday … UCI stay undefeated all-time against Santa Clara, winning six in a row … Extend their win streak to four games … Defeat its second-straight WCC opponent  

LAST TIME OUT
> The UCI defense shut down Pepperdine in an 82-48 win last Saturday. The 'Eaters held the Waves to just 33.3 percent (18-54) shooting overall and 23.1 (3-13) shooting from long range
> Dawson Baker finished with a season-high 19 points and tied a career-high four three's while Collin Welp put up a season-best 18 points

ABOUT SANTA CLARA
> SCU is 5-0 on the season and will play Fresno State before meeting the Anteaters. The Broncos are coming off an 85-66 win against TCU at the SoCal Challenge
> The Broncos currently rank seventh nationally in FG percentage (53.8), ninth in assist to turnover ratio (1.95) and 11^th in assists per game (20.5)
> Jalen Williams, a preseason all-conference pick, leads SCU in ppg (19.8) while Josip Vankic leads the team in assists per game (6.0)
> UCI is undefeated all-time against SCU with a perfect 5-0 record
> The two teams last met in 2018 in Santa Clara where the Anteaters earned a 61-49 victory. In that game, Collin Welp finished with a team-high 12 points off the bench

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
UCI hosts Bethesda Saturday, Dec. 3 at 6 p.m.