Anteaters Host Westcliff, Southern Utah to Open 2021-22 Season

Tuesday, November 9

Irvine, Calif.

2:00 PM

UC Irvine

Westcliff University

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Anteaters Host Westcliff, Southern Utah to Open 2021-22 Season

November 08, 2021 | Women's Basketball

Westcliff (1-1) at
UC Irvine (0-0)
Date: Tuesday, Nov. 9
Time: 2 p.m. (PST)
Location: Bren Events Center (5,000) - Irvine, Calif.
Watch on ESPN+ // Listen on KUCI // Live Stats // Follow on Twitter

Southern Utah (0-0) at
UC Irvine (0-0)
Date: Thursday, Nov. 11
Time: 4 p.m. (PST)
Location: Bren Events Center (5,000) - Irvine, Calif.
Watch on ESPN+ // Listen on KUCI // Live Stats // Follow on Twitter

UC Irvine Game Notes

IRVINE, Calif. - UC Irvine women's basketball is set to begin a three-game season-opening homestand this week, starting with a 2 p.m. showdown against NAIA member Westcliff University on Tuesday, Nov. 9. The Anteaters return to the hardwood two days later, welcoming Southern Utah to the Bren Events Center for a 4 p.m. tilt on Thursday, Nov. 11.

In accordance with guidance from the California Department of Public Health, UC Irvine Athletics is requiring fans (ages 2 & older) in attendance at all indoor home events to provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours before the event starts. In addition, all individuals, regardless of vaccination status, will be required to wear a mask while indoors at UCI facilities unless actively eating or drinking.

UCI Athletics is utilizing mobile ticketing and a clear bag policy for all 2021-22 home games.

STORYLINES
• Since 2017-18, the Anteaters have averaged nearly 17 wins per season.
• Their 66 total victories over that span mark the program's best four-year stretch since 1983-87.
• UCI welcomes back eight letterwinners from a 2020-21 team that advanced to the Big West Tournament championship game.
• The 'Eaters return over 70% of their scoring, and 60% of their rebounding, assists and steals from that squad.
• Kayla Williams was named the 2021 Big West Freshman of the Year, while also earning first-team all-conference honors.
• She ranked among the top-15 NCAA DI freshmen in both scoring (14.4 ppg) and assist average (4.1 apg).
• Chloe Webb garnered All-Big West honorable mention recognition last year.
• In her first full collegiate season, Webb averaged 12.2 points and a team-best 7.4 rebounds per contest.
• Tamara Inoue was tabbed the 2021 Big West co-Coach of the Year.
• In just five seasons, including last year's shortened campaign, Inoue is the third-winningest head coach in program history (71).

CATCH US ON ESPN+
All UC Irvine women's basketball home games will be streamed live on ESPN+ in 2021-22. The move comes following the Big West's multi-year, multi-platform media rights agreement with ESPN.

SCOUTING THE WARRIORS
Westcliff University, which is located in Irvine, is a member of the NAIA's California Pacific Conference. The Warriors (1-1), who did not compete during the 2020-21 season, have already played two games, defeating San Diego Christian, 74-64, and falling to Hope International, 81-61. Bailey Hawkins leads the squad, averaging a double-double with 17.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per contest.

SERIES RECORD
UC Irvine and Westcliff met for the first time on Jan. 6, 2020, with the Anteaters defeating the Warriors, 93-41, at the Bren Events Center.

SCOUTING THE THUNDERBIRDS
Southern Utah returns eight letterwinners from a 2020-21 squad that went 11-9 overall. The Thunderbirds, who will open their season at Cal State Fullerton on Tuesday, were picked to finish sixth in the Big Sky Preseason Coaches' Poll. Senior Cherita Daugherty, an All-Big Sky honorable mention selection, is the team's top returning scorer, averaging 11.9 points per game last year. Senior Darri Dotson also averaged 11.8 points and a team-leading 8.3 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 2.0 blocks per outing.

SERIES RECORD
UCI leads in its all-time series with Southern Utah, 4-2, but the Thunderbirds won the most recent meeting in Cedar City, Utah, on Dec. 6, 2019.

PRESEASON PREDICTIONS
UC Irvine was picked to finish second in the Big West Preseason Coaches' Poll. The 'Eaters (88 points) received one first-place vote from the league's 11 head coaches to come in behind five-time defending regular-season champion UC Davis. The Aggies were tabbed the preseason favorites with nine first-place votes and 99 total points. UC Santa Barbara, which received the final first-place nod, came in third with 75 points. This is the fourth year in a row the Anteaters were selected among the top-three in the Big West Preseason Poll.

Third-year freshman Kayla Williams was also named to the Preseason All-Big West Team. She was selected to the six-member squad by both the coaches and the media. Last year, Williams was tabbed the Big West Freshman of the Year and earned first-team all-conference honors. The 5-foot-7 guard averaged a team-best 14.4 points, 4.1 assists and 2.6 steals per game.

RECEIVING VOTES
UC Irvine was receiving votes in the 2021-22 College Insider Women's Mid-Major Preseason Poll that was released on Nov. 2. The Anteaters were last featured in the mid-major rankings in 2018-19 when they rose to as high as No. 15 in the nation.

OPENING NIGHT
UC Irvine will start the campaign at home for the seventh-straight year. The Anteaters have won three openers in the previous five seasons under head coach Tamara Inoue. They saw their three-game season-opening win streak snapped against California Baptist last year.

WINNING WAYS
Over the last four years, the 'Eaters are averaging nearly 17 wins per season. Their 66 total victories during that span is the program's best four-year stretch since 1983-86.

THE TURNAROUND
Prior to head coach Tamara Inoue's arrival in 2016-17, UC Irvine had just two winning seasons in 15 years. But, ever since Inoue's first campaign with her own recruits in 2017-18, the 'Eaters have been on the rise. That 2017-18 squad put together the second-best turnaround in all of NCAA Division I as they posted 18 wins after finishing with just five in 2016-17. The following year, the Anteaters notched the program's first 20-win season since 1985. In 2020-21, they also advanced to the Big West championship game for the first time in 24 years. UCI has placed among the top-three in the conference standings three times under Inoue.

HOME COOKING
Since 2017-18, UC Irvine is 36-16 (.692) at the Bren Events Center. The 36 home victories in four seasons are more than the combined total from the previous six campaigns (2011-17).

TAKE TWO
The NCAA's Division I Council voted to give eligibility relief to winter-sport athletes regardless of how many games they played during the 2020-21 academic year. Those athletes now have the opportunity to play five seasons within a six-year span rather than the typical four seasons in five years. For the Anteaters, Kayla Williams, Victoria Baker and Caiyle Kaupu are all in their second year on the court, but are still considered freshmen eligibility-wise. Meanwhile, Chloe Webb, Jayde Cadee and Sophia Locandro are third-year student-athletes listed as sophomores.

BACK TO WORK
Despite losing five seniors to graduation, UC Irvine welcomes back a solid core of eight returning letterwinners, including its top-three scorers from a year ago in Kayla Williams (14.4 ppg), Chloe Webb (12.2 ppg) and Sophia Locandro (10.1 ppg). Williams was named the 2021 Big West Freshman of the Year and earned first-team all-conference honors, while Webb received an honorable mention nod.

JOINING THE CREW
The Anteaters welcome a group of seven newcomers in 2021-22. They bring in five true freshmen with Hunter Hernandez, Déja Lee, Amelia Scharpf, Nikki Tom and Olivia Williams, while also adding some experience with graduate transfers Tara Dusharm (Pepperdine) and Naomi Hunt (Long Beach State).

TURNOVER TALK
The 'Eaters have forced at least 15.0 turnovers per game every year since Tamara Inoue took over the program in 2016-17. They led the Big West in that category in three of Inoue's five seasons at the helm with averages of 18.6 turnovers forced per game in 2020-21, 19.9 in 2018-19 and 20.3 in 2017-18.

RECORD WATCH
Sophia Locandro and Jayde Cadee are on the verge of breaking into UCI's all-time top-10 in blocks and 3-pointers made, respectively. Locandro enters the season with 58 career blocks, putting her three behind Geanine Hobbs (1988-92). Cadee's 95 career threes made are 12 behind 2020 graduate Lauren Saiki, who is 10th with 107 triples.

SCORING MACHINE
As a redshirt freshman in 2020-21, Kayla Williams ranked among the top-six in the Big West in scoring (6th, 14.4 ppg), assists (3rd, 4.1 apg) and steals (2nd, 2.6 spg). She had 19 double-figure scoring games, including five 20-plus point performances. In the second of back-to-back wins at Cal Poly, Williams dropped a career-high 32 points on 10-of-22 shooting (7-11 3FG). Her 32 points are T-11th in single-game school history, while her seven triples are T-3rd.

AT THE STRIPE
In the first game at CSU Bakersfield (Feb. 5, 2021), Williams was a perfect 11-for-11 at the free throw line. It was the first time an Anteater did not miss a free throw with at least 10 attempts since 2011. She also made her way into the top-three in UCI's single-game history with 14 free throws made in a 24-point performance against Westmont College on Dec. 9, 2020. On the season, Williams shot 75.2% (85-113) at the charity stripe.

YEAR THREE
Sophia Locandro is UC Irvine's active career leader with 584 points and 286 rebounds. The 6-foot-3 forward is a two-time Big West Player of the Week, and garnered all-conference recognition as a freshman in 2019-20.

DOUBLE DUTY
Chloe Webb was the only Anteater with multiple double-doubles last season, finishing with five, including four against Big West opponents. Webb, who averaged 12.2 points and a team-leading 7.4 rebounds, had 15 double-figure scoring games and hit the 20-point mark in three of her last five outings. The San Diego native had a career-high 21 points on 7-of-10 shooting vs. Long Beach State (March 5), and finished with 20 points in both of UCI's Big West Tournament victories. Earlier in the season, Webb pulled down a career-best 15 rebounds vs. Westmont College (Dec. 9). The 5-foot-8 guard was the first 'Eater with 15 boards in a game since Nov. 17, 2016.

SHOOTERS TOUCH
Jayde Cadee is the Anteaters' active career leader in 3-pointers made (95). As a freshman, she knocked down a team-leading 59 triples, which ranks fifth in single-season program history, while she was second on the squad with 36 in last year's shortened campaign. The 5-foot-10 guard, who has 22 career games with multiple threes made, also tied a single-game program record with eight 3-pointers at Long Beach State on Feb. 20, 2020.

MITTY CONNECTION
UC Irvine has three true freshmen who were teammates at Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose. Hunter Hernandez, Amelia Scharpf and Olivia Williams all helped the Monarchs to four league championships and three CIF Central Coast Section titles. They also won the 2020 Nor Cal Championship and advanced to the state championship before the game was canceled in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, associate head coach Cecilia Russell-Nava is a Mitty alum, while recent UCI graduates Dani Guglielmo and Tahlia Garza were also Monarchs.

INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR
UC Irvine has three international student-athletes in Jayde Cadee, Sophia Locandro and Déja Lee. Lee, a freshman from Surrey, British Columbia, was one of the top-ranked 2021 prospects in Canada. She competed with the Canadian National Team at the 2021 FIBA U19 Women's World Cup (5th) and the 2019 FIBA U16 Americas Championship (2nd). Cadee and Locandro both hail from Melbourne, Australia, where they won national titles with the Victoria Metro State team. In addition, freshman Olivia Williams, who has dual citizenship, has competed with the New Zealand National Team, winning silver at the 2019 FIBA U17 Women's Oceania Championship.

STRONG WOMEN
UC Irvine women's basketball has an all-female staff with head coach Tamara Inoue, associate head coach Cecilia Russell-Nava, assistants Jualeah Woods and Cinnamon Lister, and Director of Operations Tyler Ellis. All five played Division I basketball and have made it to the NCAA Tournament as either a player and/or coach. In addition, Tayyiba Haneef-Park, a three-time Olympian and two-time silver medalist with the U.S. Women's Indoor Volleyball Team, is in her fourth year as the program's Director of Administration.

UP NEXT
UC Irvine continues its season-opening homestand on Sunday, Nov. 14, when it welcomes San Diego State to the Bren Events Center for a 2 p.m. showdown.