Thursday, November 17
Seattle, Wash.
5:00 PM
UC Irvine
at
University of Washington
UCI Travels to Seattle for Two Games This Week
November 15, 2022 | Women's Basketball
UC Irvine (2-0) at
Washington (2-0)
Date: Thursday, Nov. 17
Time: 5 p.m. (PST)
Location: Alaska Airlines Arena (9,268) - Seattle, Wash.
UC Irvine (2-0) at
Seattle U (0-2)
Date: Saturday, Nov. 19
Time: 2 p.m. (PST)
Location: Redhawk Center (999) - Seattle, Wash.
IRVINE, Calif. - UC Irvine women's basketball stays on the road this week, traveling to the Pacific Northwest for two games. The Anteaters will square off against Pac-12 member Washington at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 17, before making their way down to Seattle U for a 2 p.m. tilt on Saturday, Nov. 19.
STARTING FIVE: STORYLINES
• UC Irvine improved to 2-0 for the second-straight year, and for the third time in the last five seasons. The Anteaters kicked off the campaign with a resounding 65-point win over NCAA Division III affiliate Whittier College (Nov. 8). They then took down Sacramento State, 60-58, on the road (Nov. 12). UCI trailed by as many as 16 early in the third quarter but came all the way back with Diaba Konate draining the game-winning jumper with 0.2 seconds left.
• Entering the second week of the season, the 'Eaters lead The Big West in 12 statistical categories, and rank among the top-10 in all of NCAA Division I in turnovers per game (3rd, 7.5), turnover margin (4th, 17.5) and assist-to-turnover ratio (9th, 2.07).
• UC Irvine held Whittier College scoreless in the third quarter of its 98-33 season-opening win. It was the first time the Anteaters did not allow a point in a 10-minute period since the NCAA switched to quarters in 2015-16. The 'Eaters were dominant in the second half of both games last week, outscoring their opponents 91-27.
• UCI returns eight letterwinners from last year's squad that tied a school record with 21 wins and made the program's first WNIT appearance.
• The Anteaters also brought in four NCAA Division I transfers in Nevaeh Dean (Cincinnati), Nyagoa Gony (Purdue), Diaba Konate (Idaho State) and Nevaeh Parkinson (New Mexico).
SCOUTING THE HUSKIES
The University of Washington (2-0) started its season with an 87-74 win over Utah Tech, before taking down Big West member UC Davis, 82-60. Haley Van Dyke leads five Huskies averaging double figures in scoring with 14.5 points per game. Emma Grothaus has also put up 10.5 points and a team-best 6.5 rebounds per outing.
SERIES RECORD
UC Irvine trails in its all-time series with Washington, 2-0. Both meetings took place in Seattle in 2007 and 2013.
SCOUTING THE REDHAWKS
Seattle U dropped a couple of Pac-12 road contests last week, falling at Oregon State, 89-53, and at No. 20 Oregon, 90-47. The Redhawks will host Portland State in their home opener on Thursday, Nov. 17. Taliyah Clark and Irena Korolenko are tied for the team lead at 8.5 points per game.
SERIES RECORD
UC Irvine leads in its all-time series with Seattle U, 5-1. The Anteaters have won the last three, including a 65-60 victory in the most recent meeting in Irvine on Dec. 29, 2018. UCI is 3-0 when playing at SU.
LAST TIME OUT
UC Irvine defeated Sacramento State in a 60-58 thriller as Diaba Konate knocked down the game-winner in the final second last Saturday at The Nest. The Anteaters trailed by as many as 16 in the third quarter, but outscored the Hornets, 18-7, in the fourth. Naomi Hunt capped a 10-0 run with two free throws that knotted it up at 56-all, and a bucket that gave UCI its first lead since the opening minute. Sac State came right back on the other end with a layup and foul, but missed the go-ahead free throw. The 'Eaters called a timeout to advance the ball and draw up one last play with 10 seconds left. The inbounds pass went to Konate who drove into the lane and calmly drained a fall-away jumper with 0.2 ticks on the clock to secure the two-point win. Konate finished with 16 points, four rebounds, two assists and three steals. Hunt also had a team-high 17 points, while Nikki Tom was the third 'Eater in double figures with 12 points as she went 4-of-6 from the field. Nyagoa Gony added a career-best four blocks, Hunter Hernandez swiped a career-high five steals and Nevaeh Dean pulled down a team-leading six rebounds.
QUARTER RECORDS
The 'Eaters outscored Whittier, 26-0, in the third period of their 98-33 season-opening win. It was the first time in program history UCI held its opponent scoreless in a quarter (since 2015-16). The previous school record was one point allowed in the third frame against Life Pacific on Nov. 7, 2018. UC Irvine was the third NCAA Division I team to blank its opponent in a quarter to start the 2022-23 season.
SECOND HALF SUCCESS
UCI was a second-half team in its first two games of the season as it outscored its opponents 91-27 in the final 20 minutes. The Anteaters held both Whittier and Sac State to just seven points in the fourth quarter. Most of the lopsided second-half advantage started on the defensive end where the 'Eaters scored 39 points off 30 forced turnovers, while committing only seven miscues of their own.
TURNOVER TALK
The Anteaters forced 20+ turnovers in each of their first two games with a season-high 28 at Sacramento State. Even more impressive is the fact that they have committed only 15 miscues of their own. They currently rank third in all of NCAA Division I in turnovers per game (7.5), fourth in turnover margin (17.5) and ninth in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.07). Since 2016-17, the 'Eaters have been one of the top teams in The Big West in turnovers forced with 17.8 per game.
COUNTDOWN TO 100
Head coach Tamara Inoue needs six more victories to hit the 100-win milestone. She is currently the second-winningest coach in program history at 94. The 2021 co-Big West Coach of the Year has led the 'Eaters to two of their four 20-win campaigns, including a school-record tying 21 last year.
BUZZER BEATER
Junior transfer Diaba Konate hit the game-winning jumper with 0.2 seconds on the clock to lift UC Irvine to a 60-58 win at Sacramento State on Nov. 12. Konate finished the game with 16 points, four rebounds and three steals. On the season, she is tops on the squad with 13.5 points per outing, and is shooting 56% from the field, 50% from beyond the arc and 83% at the free throw line.
LATE GAME IMPACT
Graduate transfer Nyagoa Gony also played a key role in UCI's thrilling 60-58 win at Sac State last weekend. The 6-foot-3 forward had three of her career-high four blocks during a 15-2 fourth-quarter run that gave the Anteaters a late 58-56 advantage, which was their first lead since the opening minute of the game. In the season opener against Whittier College (Nov. 8), Gony also tied her career high with nine rebounds.
THE HUNT FOR 1,000
Naomi Hunt reached a significant milestone at the 2022 Big West Championships where she surpassed 1,000 points in her collegiate career. Hunt entered the quarterfinal round needing four points to hit the 1K mark and did so on a jumper with 2:05 left in the second quarter. The graduate student now has 1,056 career points with 803 coming in her three seasons at Long Beach State and 253 in her time at UCI. Hunt most recently drained a season-high 17 points at Sac State (Nov. 12).
OPENING STATEMENT
Sophomore Déja Lee had the best game of her young career in last Tuesday's season-opening win over Whittier College. Lee came off the bench to lead all players with a career-high 16 points (7-9 FG). She also set career bests with eight rebounds, five assists and no turnovers in 18 minutes of action.
GIVE AND TAKE
Sophomore Nikki Tom is the Anteaters' returning assists and steals leader. As a true freshman, she dished out 51 helpers (1.5 apg) and had 38 takeaways (1.2 spg). In 2022-23, Tom is tied for first on the team with five assists and ranks third with four steals. She also reached double figures in scoring in both outings this year with 12 at Sac State and 11 vs. Whittier.
BIG WEST DOMINANCE
No team has been better in Big West regular-season play over the last two years than UC Irvine. The 'Eaters are coming off back-to-back four-loss campaigns, combining for a conference-leading 25-8 record. In 2020-21 and 2021-22, UCI had the most victories in league play, but finished second based on win percentage.
UP NEXT
UC Irvine returns home to host Long Island University on Friday, Nov. 25. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. at the Bren Events Center.
Washington (2-0)
Date: Thursday, Nov. 17
Time: 5 p.m. (PST)
Location: Alaska Airlines Arena (9,268) - Seattle, Wash.
UC Irvine (2-0) at
Seattle U (0-2)
Date: Saturday, Nov. 19
Time: 2 p.m. (PST)
Location: Redhawk Center (999) - Seattle, Wash.
IRVINE, Calif. - UC Irvine women's basketball stays on the road this week, traveling to the Pacific Northwest for two games. The Anteaters will square off against Pac-12 member Washington at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 17, before making their way down to Seattle U for a 2 p.m. tilt on Saturday, Nov. 19.
STARTING FIVE: STORYLINES
• UC Irvine improved to 2-0 for the second-straight year, and for the third time in the last five seasons. The Anteaters kicked off the campaign with a resounding 65-point win over NCAA Division III affiliate Whittier College (Nov. 8). They then took down Sacramento State, 60-58, on the road (Nov. 12). UCI trailed by as many as 16 early in the third quarter but came all the way back with Diaba Konate draining the game-winning jumper with 0.2 seconds left.
• Entering the second week of the season, the 'Eaters lead The Big West in 12 statistical categories, and rank among the top-10 in all of NCAA Division I in turnovers per game (3rd, 7.5), turnover margin (4th, 17.5) and assist-to-turnover ratio (9th, 2.07).
• UC Irvine held Whittier College scoreless in the third quarter of its 98-33 season-opening win. It was the first time the Anteaters did not allow a point in a 10-minute period since the NCAA switched to quarters in 2015-16. The 'Eaters were dominant in the second half of both games last week, outscoring their opponents 91-27.
• UCI returns eight letterwinners from last year's squad that tied a school record with 21 wins and made the program's first WNIT appearance.
• The Anteaters also brought in four NCAA Division I transfers in Nevaeh Dean (Cincinnati), Nyagoa Gony (Purdue), Diaba Konate (Idaho State) and Nevaeh Parkinson (New Mexico).
SCOUTING THE HUSKIES
The University of Washington (2-0) started its season with an 87-74 win over Utah Tech, before taking down Big West member UC Davis, 82-60. Haley Van Dyke leads five Huskies averaging double figures in scoring with 14.5 points per game. Emma Grothaus has also put up 10.5 points and a team-best 6.5 rebounds per outing.
SERIES RECORD
UC Irvine trails in its all-time series with Washington, 2-0. Both meetings took place in Seattle in 2007 and 2013.
SCOUTING THE REDHAWKS
Seattle U dropped a couple of Pac-12 road contests last week, falling at Oregon State, 89-53, and at No. 20 Oregon, 90-47. The Redhawks will host Portland State in their home opener on Thursday, Nov. 17. Taliyah Clark and Irena Korolenko are tied for the team lead at 8.5 points per game.
SERIES RECORD
UC Irvine leads in its all-time series with Seattle U, 5-1. The Anteaters have won the last three, including a 65-60 victory in the most recent meeting in Irvine on Dec. 29, 2018. UCI is 3-0 when playing at SU.
LAST TIME OUT
UC Irvine defeated Sacramento State in a 60-58 thriller as Diaba Konate knocked down the game-winner in the final second last Saturday at The Nest. The Anteaters trailed by as many as 16 in the third quarter, but outscored the Hornets, 18-7, in the fourth. Naomi Hunt capped a 10-0 run with two free throws that knotted it up at 56-all, and a bucket that gave UCI its first lead since the opening minute. Sac State came right back on the other end with a layup and foul, but missed the go-ahead free throw. The 'Eaters called a timeout to advance the ball and draw up one last play with 10 seconds left. The inbounds pass went to Konate who drove into the lane and calmly drained a fall-away jumper with 0.2 ticks on the clock to secure the two-point win. Konate finished with 16 points, four rebounds, two assists and three steals. Hunt also had a team-high 17 points, while Nikki Tom was the third 'Eater in double figures with 12 points as she went 4-of-6 from the field. Nyagoa Gony added a career-best four blocks, Hunter Hernandez swiped a career-high five steals and Nevaeh Dean pulled down a team-leading six rebounds.
QUARTER RECORDS
The 'Eaters outscored Whittier, 26-0, in the third period of their 98-33 season-opening win. It was the first time in program history UCI held its opponent scoreless in a quarter (since 2015-16). The previous school record was one point allowed in the third frame against Life Pacific on Nov. 7, 2018. UC Irvine was the third NCAA Division I team to blank its opponent in a quarter to start the 2022-23 season.
SECOND HALF SUCCESS
UCI was a second-half team in its first two games of the season as it outscored its opponents 91-27 in the final 20 minutes. The Anteaters held both Whittier and Sac State to just seven points in the fourth quarter. Most of the lopsided second-half advantage started on the defensive end where the 'Eaters scored 39 points off 30 forced turnovers, while committing only seven miscues of their own.
TURNOVER TALK
The Anteaters forced 20+ turnovers in each of their first two games with a season-high 28 at Sacramento State. Even more impressive is the fact that they have committed only 15 miscues of their own. They currently rank third in all of NCAA Division I in turnovers per game (7.5), fourth in turnover margin (17.5) and ninth in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.07). Since 2016-17, the 'Eaters have been one of the top teams in The Big West in turnovers forced with 17.8 per game.
COUNTDOWN TO 100
Head coach Tamara Inoue needs six more victories to hit the 100-win milestone. She is currently the second-winningest coach in program history at 94. The 2021 co-Big West Coach of the Year has led the 'Eaters to two of their four 20-win campaigns, including a school-record tying 21 last year.
BUZZER BEATER
Junior transfer Diaba Konate hit the game-winning jumper with 0.2 seconds on the clock to lift UC Irvine to a 60-58 win at Sacramento State on Nov. 12. Konate finished the game with 16 points, four rebounds and three steals. On the season, she is tops on the squad with 13.5 points per outing, and is shooting 56% from the field, 50% from beyond the arc and 83% at the free throw line.
LATE GAME IMPACT
Graduate transfer Nyagoa Gony also played a key role in UCI's thrilling 60-58 win at Sac State last weekend. The 6-foot-3 forward had three of her career-high four blocks during a 15-2 fourth-quarter run that gave the Anteaters a late 58-56 advantage, which was their first lead since the opening minute of the game. In the season opener against Whittier College (Nov. 8), Gony also tied her career high with nine rebounds.
THE HUNT FOR 1,000
Naomi Hunt reached a significant milestone at the 2022 Big West Championships where she surpassed 1,000 points in her collegiate career. Hunt entered the quarterfinal round needing four points to hit the 1K mark and did so on a jumper with 2:05 left in the second quarter. The graduate student now has 1,056 career points with 803 coming in her three seasons at Long Beach State and 253 in her time at UCI. Hunt most recently drained a season-high 17 points at Sac State (Nov. 12).
OPENING STATEMENT
Sophomore Déja Lee had the best game of her young career in last Tuesday's season-opening win over Whittier College. Lee came off the bench to lead all players with a career-high 16 points (7-9 FG). She also set career bests with eight rebounds, five assists and no turnovers in 18 minutes of action.
GIVE AND TAKE
Sophomore Nikki Tom is the Anteaters' returning assists and steals leader. As a true freshman, she dished out 51 helpers (1.5 apg) and had 38 takeaways (1.2 spg). In 2022-23, Tom is tied for first on the team with five assists and ranks third with four steals. She also reached double figures in scoring in both outings this year with 12 at Sac State and 11 vs. Whittier.
BIG WEST DOMINANCE
No team has been better in Big West regular-season play over the last two years than UC Irvine. The 'Eaters are coming off back-to-back four-loss campaigns, combining for a conference-leading 25-8 record. In 2020-21 and 2021-22, UCI had the most victories in league play, but finished second based on win percentage.
UP NEXT
UC Irvine returns home to host Long Island University on Friday, Nov. 25. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. at the Bren Events Center.
Players Mentioned
Forward
/ Women's Basketball
Forward
/ Women's Basketball
Guard
/ Women's Basketball
Forward
/ Women's Basketball
Guard
/ Women's Basketball
Center
/ Women's Basketball
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