UC Irvine (8-5, 5-0 Big West) at
CSU Bakersfield (6-6, 4-4 Big West)
Date: Friday, Feb. 5
Time: 4 p.m. (PST)
Location: Icardo Center (3,497) - Bakersfield, Calif.
Watch on ESPN3 // Listen on KUCI // Live Stats // Follow on Twitter

UC Irvine (8-5, 5-0 Big West) at
CSU Bakersfield (6-6, 4-4 Big West)
Date: Saturday, Feb. 6
Time: 4 p.m. (PST)
Location: Icardo Center (3,497) - Bakersfield, Calif.
Watch on ESPN3 // Listen on KUCI // Live Stats // Follow on Twitter

UC Irvine Game Notes

IRVINE, Calif. - UC Irvine women's basketball will be looking to remain undefeated in Big West play when it travels to CSU Bakersfield this weekend. The two teams are set to square off at 4 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 5, and Saturday, Feb. 6, with both contests streaming on ESPN3.
 
STORYLINES
• UCI has won six of its last seven and is riding a season-long four-game win streak.
• The Anteaters are 5-0 in conference play for the first time since 1994-95.
• A win on Friday would mark their best Big West start in program history.
• The 'Eaters are one of three teams that remain unbeaten in Big West action.
• They sit at the top of the league standings with Long Beach State (8-0) and UC Davis (4-0).
• In the last three games, redshirt freshman Kayla Williams is averaging 22.7 points on 50% shooting (23-46 FG).
• She has back-to-back 20+ point performances with 20 vs. Hawai'i and a career-high 32 (7-11 3FG) at Cal Poly.
• Her 32 points are tied for 11th in single-game school history, and her seven made threes are tied for third.
• Overall, Williams is tops on the squad in scoring (15.7 ppg), assists (4.9 apg) and steals (2.4 spg).
• Sophomore Chloe Webb owns a team-best three double-doubles, and leads UC Irvine with 7.7 rebounds per game.
• She pulled down a career-best 15 boards against Westmont on Dec. 9.
• Sophomore Sophia Locandro ranks second on the team with 10.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per outing.
• Sophomore Jayde Cadee has knocked down a team-high 20 3-pointers (1.5/game). 
• Cadee (20), Williams (19) and senior Dani Guglielmo (12) have combined to make 51 of UCI's 69 3-pointers.
• With her second board in UC Irvine's win over Hawai'i, senior Tahlia Garza joined the 500 career rebound club.

SCOUTING THE ROADRUNNERS
CSU Bakersfield (6-6, 4-4 BWC) is coming off a Big West road sweep at Cal State Fullerton, Jan. 29-30. Junior Jayden Eggleston has paced the Roadrunners with 12.2 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. Sophomore Lexus Green is also averaging 10.3 points and a team-best 4.2 assists per outing, while junior Miracle Saxon is tops on the squad with 6.0 rebounds per contest. CSUB, previously of the Western Athletic Conference, became an official member of the Big West in 2020-21.
 
SERIES RECORD
UCI trails in its all-time series with CSU Bakersfield, 11-4, but is 2-1 against the Roadrunners in the Tamara Inoue era (since 2016-17). The two teams last met on Nov. 29, 2018, with the Anteaters securing an 85-78 victory at the Bren Events Center.
 
LAST TIME OUT
UC Irvine led wire-to-wire in a convincing 82-68 win over Hawai'i last Friday at the Bren Events Center. The Anteaters shot 52% from the field and scored 28 points off 20 forced turnovers, while committing only seven miscues of their own. Kayla Williams led six 'Eaters in double figures with 20 points (8-13 FG), to go along with seven assists and three steals. Caiyle Kaupu tied her season high with 11 points, while Alexus Seaton and Chloe Webb also finished with 11 points each. Sophia Locandro added 10 points, four rebounds and two blocks, and Haleigh Talbert chipped in 10 points, five boards and four assists.
 
FIRST FIVE
UC Irvine has used seven different starting lineups in 13 games, but has put the same first five on the court in its current four-game win streak. The Anteaters, sticking with what has worked, are 4-0 with Sophia Locandro, Alexus Seaton, Kayla Williams, Dani Guglielmo and Chloe Webb in the starting five. Locandro and Williams are the only two 'Eaters who have started every game this season.
 
DOUBLE DIGIT MARGIN
Nine of the Anteaters' 13 games, including five of their eight wins, have been decided by 10+ points. Their largest margin of victory this season is 14 which they established vs. Hawai'i, last Friday, Jan. 29.
 
HOME COOKING
Since 2017-18, UCI is 33-15 (.688) at the Bren Events Center. The 33 home victories in three-plus seasons are more than the combined total from the previous six campaigns (2011-17).
 
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
The 'Eaters are 5-2 in away games this year and will be looking to extend a four-game road win streak. They have played six of their last nine, including four of their first five Big West contests, away from the Bren Events Center.
 
TURNOVER TALK
The Anteaters have forced a Big West-leading 248 turnovers, and rank second in the league with 19.1 TOs forced/game. UCI has caused 17+ miscues in 10-straight outings, including a season-high 26 at SDSU (Dec. 19).
 
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. UC Irvine 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.
 
WINNING WAYS
UCI is on pace for its fourth-straight season with at least 13 wins. From 2017-20, the 'Eaters went 51-43, marking the program's best three-year stretch since 1983-86.
 
BIG WEST LEADER
Through five Big West games, redshirt freshman Kayla Williams is averaging a conference-leading 19.6 points, while also ranking among the top-three in assists (5.6 apg) and steals (2.4 spg). She earned her first career Big West Player of the Week award after dropping a career-high 32 points on 10-of-22 shooting (7-11 3FG) in the second of back-to-back wins at Cal Poly. The Los Angeles native also finished with 24 points at UC Santa Barbara (Dec. 28) and 20 vs. Hawai'i (Jan. 29). In addition, Williams is the only player in the Big West with a double-digit assist game this year as she dished out a career-best 10 dimes against the Gauchos on Dec. 27.
 
MAKING MOVES
Overall, Williams is tops on the squad with 15.7 points, 4.9 assists and 2.4 steals per contest. She has 11 double-figure scoring games and four 20-plus point performances, including in each of the last two outings. Her career-high 32 points are tied for 11th in single-game school history, while her seven triples are tied for third. Williams also ranks among the top-three at UCI with 14 free throws made in a 24-point showing against Westmont on Dec. 9. 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 five of the last six contests. On the season, she is averaging 10.3 points and a team-best 7.7 rebounds per outing. She is shooting 47% from the field (45-for-96).
 
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 10.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per contest. She has reached double figures in scoring in eight of 13 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 (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 (702), assists (170) and steals (118). The 5-foot-4 guard has continued to put up solid numbers in 2020-21 with 9.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steals in seven games played. She made her return to the court after a month away from competition at Cal Poly (Jan. 22-23). Prior to her injury, Talbert had played in 97 consecutive games.
 
UP NEXT
UC Irvine is scheduled to begin a season-long four-game homestand by hosting UC Riverside in Big West action, Feb. 12-13.