Life Pacific vs. UC Irvine
Monday, Nov. 21 | 7:00 p.m. PT
Bren Events Center | Irvine, Calif.
KUCI Radio | AM 830 | Live Stats | Watch (ESPN+) | Tickets | Notes 

UC Irvine vs. Nichols
Friday, Nov. 25 | 4:00 p.m. PT
Orleans Arena | Las Vegas, Nev.
KUCI Radio | AM 830 | Live Stats | Watch (Be The Beast) | Tickets | Notes

UC Irvine vs. New Mexico State/San Diego
Saturday, Nov. 26 | TBA
Orleans Arena | Las Vegas, Nev.
KUCI Radio | AM 830 | Live Stats | Watch (Be The Beast) | Tickets | Notes

UC Irvine will take on non-Division I Life Pacific on Monday November 21st at 7 p.m. in the Bren Events Center then travel to Nevada to play in the Las Vegas Holiday Classic where the Anteaters will face Nicholls and either New Mexico State or San Diego.

NON-DIVISION I COMPETITION
Life Pacific is the second and final non-Division I team that UC Irvine will face in the non-conference portion of the season. The 'Eaters have already defeated non-DI Chapman in the season opener for UC Irvine, downing the Panthers 96-50.
 
BATTLE AT THE BOARDS
In a career week for Bent Leuchten, the sophomore center set a career high 14 rebounds (four offensive and 10 defensive) in the nine-point loss to Pepperdine. The last time an Anteater had grabbed 10-14 rebounds was then senior Collin Welp who had 13 in the game against Hawaii on February 19, 2022. Leuchten is also the first Anteater to have a double-figure rebounding game this season. Devin Tillis also notched a season high nine rebounds at Pepperdine (two offensive and seven defensive), just two shy of his career high (11).
 
BAKER'S STREAKS
Dawson Baker has led the Anteaters offense several times this season, increasing his career numbers and leading season streaks for UCI. In just four games, Baker has had double-digit scoring in each of them to record 25 career double-figure games as well as having five consecutive dating back to March 10, 2022. The junior has led the team twice this season in scoring while leading the team 11 times in his tenure. Lastly, Dawson has had three consecutive games where he has scored from behind the arc starting in the UCI win at then No. 21 Oregon.
 
THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE FREE
DJ Davis continues to remain perfect at the charity stripe, going 8-8 so far in 2022-23. Davis was named to the top 25 by CBB Analytics in clutch free throws, not missing one in a minimum of 10 attempts last season.
 
LEADING THE BIG WEST
UCI ranks first in the Big West in six statistical categories: scoring margin (16.3), rebounds per game (43.5), assists per game (16.3), assist-TO ratio (1.41), turnover margin (+4.5), and three-point field goal percentage defense (0.233). Several Anteaters sit in the top ten of the Big West individual statistical rankings: rebounding (6th– Leuchten), three-point field goal percentage (2nd– Davis), assists (3rd– Crockrell II), assist-TO ratio (8th– Crockrell II), and steals (9th– Ujadughele).
 
NATIONAL STATISTICS 11.19.22
UC Irvine is ranked top-50 nationally in the following categories: scoring defense (46), rebounds per game (24), field-goal percentage defense (28), and three-point field goal percentage defense (20).

ABOUT LIFE PACIFIC
> Life Pacific is 7-0 this season, picking up their seventh win on Saturday over conference foe Vanguard, 64-61
> The Warriors hold a 0-1 record over Division I programs this season, dropping 94-49 to LMU 
> UC Irvine is the second of four Division I teams that Life Pacific will face UNLV just five days later
>Big West rival Long Beach State will face the Warriors in mid-December
> Life Pacific returns almost the entirety of their roster from the 2021-22 season, with three of their four newcomers opting to redshirt in 2022-23
> The Warriors finished in eighth place in the GSAC and competed in the conference tournament for the first time in program history
> Kyler Villarreal is the teams leader in scoring, boasting a 22.3 point average in his seven games played
> Austin Cook is efficient off the boards for Life Pacific, averaging 8.1 a game and grabbed 11 in the Warriors conference win on Saturday
 
ABOUT NICHOLLS
> Nicholls has started their season 0-3
> The Colonels losses have come to top opponents (then No. 17 Arizona, Wyoming, and BYU)
> Nicholls is scheduled to play NAIA Jarvis Christian just three days before their contest with UCI
> UC Irvine and Nicholls have not yet met in program history
> Nicholls finished first in the Southland conference last season, finishing with an overall record of 21-12
> The Colonels earned a postseason berth to the NIT and fell in the first round to SMU
> Junior Micah Thomas leads Nicholls on the offensive end, averaging 17.7 points a game on 22-32 shooting
> Latrell Jones is averaging 4.7 rebounds in 23.3 minutes a game
> Nicholls was picked to finish second in the Southland preseason media poll behind reigning tournamant champion Texas A&M Corpus Christi
> Jones, Pierce Spencer, and Manny Littles were named as All-Southland Preseason selections
 
ABOUT NEW MEXICO STATE
> New Mexico has only played two games so far this season, splitting them 1-1
> The Aggies sole loss came from a road contest at UTEP
> New Mexico State and UC Irvine have a common opponent in Santa Clara, playing just a week apart
> UC Irvine is 9-31 all time against the Aggies, last facing off in the 2021-22 season opener in Las Cruces
> New Mexico State finished first in the WAC with an overall record of 27-7 and won the WAC tournament championship
> The Aggies advanced as far as the second round in the NCAA March Madness tournament
> Deshawndre Washington is New Mexico State's scoring leader, earning 17.5 points a game on 15-28 shooting
> Washington also leads the team in rebounds with an average of 11.0 over the Aggies two games
> New Mexico State was picked to finish second in the WAC preseason media poll, the first time they were not selected to be the favorite since the 2017-18 season
> Washington and Xavier Pinson were selected to the All-WAC preseason team
 
ABOUT SAN DIEGO
> San Diego has started 2022-23 off with a 3-1 record
> The Toreros won their first three games before dropping to Utah State 89-91 in overtime
> San Diego will face three Big West schools later in their non-conference season
> UC Irvine and USD are split 14-14 in their all-time series
> San Diego finished seventh in the WCC with an overall record of 15-16
> The Toreros fell to Portland in the second round of the WCC tournament
> Graduate student Eric Williams Jr. dominates on both the offensive and defensive ends for San Diego averaging 22.3 points and 11.5 rebounds in four games played
> San Diego was picked to finish eighth in the WCC preseason media poll