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CSU Dominguez Hills at UC Irvine
Friday, Nov. 5 |7:00 p.m.
Bren Events Center (5,000) | Irvine, Calif.
Exhibition Game
KUCI Radio | Live Stats | Watch (ESPN+) | Tickets | Notes

UC Irvine begins its 2020-21 schedule Friday night, hosting DII Cal State Dominguez Hills in an exhibition game at the Bren Events Center at 7:00 p.m. Trent Rush will be on the call for KUCI and ESPN+.

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
> 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

> Last season, UCI finished sixth nationally in fg percentage defense (.387), 11th 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

> UCI has amassed a 97-22 record at the Bren Events Center over the last nine years including a 10-1 mark at home last season

> The regular season tips off at New Mexico State Tuesday, Nov. 9 at 6 p.m. PT

> 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

> CS Dominguez Hills did not compete last season due to COVID-19 protocols. This will be the first game for the Toros since 2020

> During the 2019-20 season, CSUDH finished 14-15 overall and 10-12 in the CCAA

> Steve Becker returns for his eighth season at the helm of CSUDH

> UCI is 3-0 against the Toros all-time. The last time the two teams met was on Nov. 19, 2004 when the Anteaters won a 106-69 decision

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

UP NEXT
UCI opens the season at New Mexico State Tuesday, Nov. 9 at 6 p.m.