UC Irvine (8-7, 3-1 Big West) at
Cal State Fullerton (6-7, 1-2 Big West)
Date: Thursday, Jan. 20
Time: 7 p.m. (PST)
Location: Titan Gym (4,000) - Fullerton, Calif.
Watch // Listen // Live Stats // Follow on Twitter

Long Beach State (10-2, 3-1 Big West) at
UC Irvine (8-7, 3-1 Big West)
Date: Saturday, Jan. 22
Time: 2 p.m. (PST)
Location: Bren Events Center (5,000) - Irvine, Calif.
Tickets // Watch // Listen // Live Stats // Follow on Twitter

UC Irvine Game Notes

IRVINE, Calif. - UC Irvine women's basketball will make the short trip to Cal State Fullerton on Thursday, Jan. 20 for a 7 p.m. game at Titan Gym. The Anteaters then return to the Bren Events Center for a Black & Blue Rivalry showdown with Long Beach State at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 22.
 
In accordance with guidance from the California Department of Public Health, UC Irvine Athletics is requiring fans in attendance (ages 3 and older) at all indoor home events to provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test within one day for an antigen test and two days for a PCR test prior to entry. 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
• UC Irvine got out to its first 3-0 Big West start since 2010-11 before falling to Hawai'i, 77-73, last Saturday (Jan. 15).
• UCI enters the week in a tie for first with LBSU and UC San Diego in the conference standings.
• The Anteaters have held their opponent to under 60 points seven times this season, including in four of their last five outings.
• In Big West games, the 'Eaters rank first in the conference in scoring offense, 3FG%, turnover margin and assist-to-turnover ratio.
• Kayla Williams is averaging a team-best 13.4 ppg, and is also tops on the squad in 3FG made (28), assists (59) and steals (31).
• She ranks among the top-five in the conference in all four categories.
• Chloe Webb is averaging 15.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.3 steals in Big West action.
• She also leads the league with a 3.3 assist-to-turnover ratio in conference games.
• Jayde Cadee has caught fire from beyond the arc, making 10 of her 19 threes in her last four appearances (Dec. 23-Jan. 15).

SCOUTING THE TITANS
Cal State Fullerton (6-7, 1-2 BWC) split a pair of conference games on the road last week, defeating CSUN, 65-50, before falling at UC Santa Barbara in overtime, 78-70. Thursday will mark the Titans' Big West home opener. Lily Wahinekapu leads CSF with 13.1 points and 4.5 assists per contest. Ashlee Lewis is also averaging 10.6 points and a team-best 5.8 rebounds.
 
SERIES RECORD
UC Irvine leads in its all-time series with Cal State Fullerton, 44-39, and has come out on top in the last four meetings. The Anteaters swept the Titans at the Bren Events Center last year, winning, 71-58, on Feb. 19, and 68-60 on Feb. 20.
 
SCOUTING THE BEACH
Long Beach State (10-2, 3-1 BWC) won its first three conference games before dropping a 64-50 decision at CSUN last Saturday, Jan. 15. Maddi Utti has paced the Beach with 12.7 points, 8.5 rebounds and 3.5 steals per outing, while Justina King is also averaging 12.3 points and 4.3 assists per contest.
 
SERIES RECORD
UC Irvine and Long Beach State have met 81 times since 1974-75. LBSU leads in the all-time series, 62-19, but the Anteaters have won four of the last six. The two teams split the regular-season series at the Bren Events Center last year as UCI topped the Beach, 79-70, on March 5, before suffering an 80-62 defeat the next day.
 
LAST TIME OUT
In a tough battle that went down to the wire, UC Irvine was handed its first Big West loss of the season, falling to Hawai'i, 77-73, last Saturday at the Bren Events Center. Kayla Williams led the Anteaters with a season-best 21 points to go along with a game-high four assists. Chloe Webb added 16 points, while Naomi Hunt finished with 10 points and a career-high tying four steals.
 
STARTING FIVE
After using the same starting lineup in its first 11 contests, UC Irvine mixed it up in its first three conference games. From Jan. 6-11, the 'Eaters had at least two true freshmen in their first five with Hunter Hernandez (Jan. 6), Nikki Tom (Jan. 8), Déja Lee (Jan. 11) and Melodie Kapinga (Jan. 11) all making their first career starts. Freshman Olivia Williams remains the lone 'Eater to have started every game.
 
BENCH PRODUCTION
UCI has outscored its opponents in bench points, 368-210. All 15 'Eaters have made their way into the scoring column, 11 have at least one double-figure scoring game, and nine are averaging at least 4.0 points per outing.
 
HOME COOKING
UC Irvine has been impressive at home in recent years, compiling a 42-19 (.689) record at the Bren Events Center since 2017-18. This season, six of the Anteaters' eight victories have come at home and they own a +10.7 scoring margin in games at the Bren.
 
DEFENSIVE PROWESS
The 'Eaters have held their opponent to under 60 points seven times this season (6-1), including in four of the last five outings. Since Dec. 23, UC Irvine has allowed 58.2 ppg, while averaging 19.2 turnovers forced, 10.8 steals and a +7.4 turnover margin. Déja Lee has provided a spark during that stretch with 11 steals.
 
TURNOVER TALK
The 'Eaters have forced 15+ turnovers on 11 occasions (17.3/gm), with a season-high 25 vs. UC Riverside on Jan. 8. Since 2016-17, they have forced 18.0 turnovers per game and have consistently been one of the top teams in the Big West in that category.
 
DOUBLE DIGIT TIDBITS
UCI has had multiple players score in double figures in 13 of its 14 games. Kayla Williams is tops on the team with 12 double-digit performances, while Chloe Webb is second with nine. In addition, five of the Anteaters' eight wins have come by 10+ points.
 
RECORD WATCH
Jayde Cadee has made her way into UCI's all-time top-10 in 3-pointers made with her 114 career triples ranking seventh. With 16 blocks this season, Sophia Locandro has increased her career total to 74, which puts her in sole possession of ninth all-time at UC Irvine. Both Cadee and Locandro are three away from moving up one spot in the record books.
 
BIG WEST LEADERS
UCI enters the week ranked first in the Big West in overall scoring offense (69.8 ppg), FT percentage (75.6), 3FG percentage (33.5) and offensive rebounds per game (13.6). Individually, Kayla Williams is among the top-five in scoring (4th), assists (5th), steals (4th) and 3FG made (2nd).

DOUBLE DUTY
UCI is 4-0 when an Anteater finishes with a double-double this season. Chloe Webb has a team-best two double-doubles, putting up 11 points/10 rebounds vs. SJSU, and 14 points/13 boards against Southern Utah. Melodie Kapinga had the first of the year with 11 points and a career-high 10 rebounds in 13 minutes against Westcliff (Nov. 9), while Naomi Hunt registered 17 points and 12 rebounds vs. Sacramento State.
 
WALKING BUCKET
Kayla Williams has reached double figures in scoring in 31 of 37 career games played with seven 20+ point performances. Williams, who is averaging a team-best 13.4 ppg, has scored 10+ in each of her last 12 outings, with a season-high 21 points vs. Hawai'i (Jan. 15). She also has a streak of 28 consecutive games played with a 3-pointer made. The 5-foot-7 point guard owns a career high of 32 points which she established at Cal Poly on Jan. 23, 2021. 
 
SPINNING HER WEBB
Chloe Webb, who earned All-Big West honors last year, is out to an impressive start in conference action, averaging 15.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.3 steals in three games played. She has gone 5-for-7 from beyond the arc and 12-of-13 at the free throw line, while also putting up a league-leading 3.3 assist-to-turnover ratio (10-to-3).
 
CATCHING FIRE
After battling through a 2-for-10 slump over a six-game stretch from Nov. 26-Dec. 21, Jayde Cadee has caught fire from beyond the arc. In her last four outings, she has made 10 of her 19 3-pointers and has shot 44% from deep. On Jan. 8, Cadee went 5-for-10 for a season-high 15 points against UC Riverside.
 
ON THE HUNT
Naomi Hunt has seven double-figure scoring games this year, including two in her three Big West appearances, where she is averaging 11.0 points per contest. She had 15 points in a win at UCSD and 10 against Hawai'i. Earlier in the year, Hunt put up a season-best 17 points and 12 rebounds vs. Sacramento State.
 
OPENING NIGHT
For the seventh-straight year, UCI started the campaign at home, and won its fourth opener in the last five seasons with a 114-53 victory over Westcliff on Nov. 9. The 114 points were a program record, breaking the previous mark of 107, which was set back in 1979 and matched in 2018. Of the five 100-point games in school history, four have come in the Tamara Inoue era. The 'Eaters also tied a 39-year old school record with 30 assists vs. the Warriors.
 
WINNING WAYS
UC Irvine increased its win total in each of head coach Tamara Inoue's first three years at the helm, culminating with the program's third 20-win campaign in 2018-19. In five-plus seasons, including last year's shortened schedule, Inoue already ranks third in program history with 79 victories. The 2021 Big West co-Coach of the Year is seven wins away from tying Mark Adams (86) for second.
 
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 to come in behind five-time defending regular-season champion UC Davis, which earned nine first-place votes and 99 total 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 selected to the six-member Preseason All-Big West Team. Last year, Williams was named the Big West Freshman of the Year and earned first-team all-conference honors after averaging 14.4 points, 4.1 assists and 2.6 steals per game.

UP NEXT
UC Irvine will be on the road next week, traveling to CSU Bakersfield on Thursday, Jan. 27, and Cal Poly on Saturday, Jan. 29.