UC Irvine (4-1) at
Eastern Washington (4-1)
Date: Thursday, Dec. 1
Time: 6 p.m. (PST)
Location: Reese Court (5,000) - Cheney, Wash.

IRVINE, Calif. - UC Irvine women's basketball is back on the road this week, traveling to Cheney, Washington, for a single game at Eastern Washington University on Thursday, Dec. 1. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Reese Court.
 
STARTING FIVE: STORYLINES
• All three of UCI's road games have been decided by two points or less, starting with a 60-58 victory at Sacramento State (Nov. 12) where Diaba Konate beat the buzzer with a fall away jumper in the lane. The 'Eaters then dropped a 62-60 double overtime decision at Pac-12 member Washington (Nov. 17), before bouncing back two days later with a 54-53 win at Seattle U. They trailed the Redhawks by four with just over a minute remaining, but Olivia Williams drained a clutch 3-pointer and Nikki Tom delivered a perfect entry pass to Nevaeh Parkinson who converted the game-winning layup with 4.2 seconds on the clock.
 
• With a 4-1 record, the Anteaters are out to their best start since 2018-19 when they opened the campaign with seven consecutive wins. UC Irvine's only loss this year came at UW in the team's first double overtime game since 1981. UCI has been recognized for its impressive start as it was receiving votes in the last two College Insider Women's Mid-Major Polls.
 
• As of Nov. 28, the 'Eaters lead The Big West in 10 statistical categories, and rank among the top-10 in all of NCAA Division I in steals per game (4th, 15.4), turnover margin (6th, 11.0) and turnovers forced per game (8th, 26.2). UCI forced a season-high 28 turnovers at Sacramento State and matched that total at Washington.
 
• UC Irvine also leads The Big West and ranks 21st in the nation in scoring defense at 52.4 points allowed per game. The Anteaters have held each of their first five opponents to at least one single-digit scoring quarter, and gave up fewer than 60 points in each of their four wins. In the season opener, they kept Whittier College off the scoreboard in the third frame of a 98-33 victory, marking the first time UCI has not allowed a point in a 10-minute period since the NCAA switched to quarters in 2015-16.
 
• The 'Eaters return 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 EAGLES
Eastern Washington is 4-1 after defeating Evergreen State, 90-44, in its last outing on Nov. 20. Similar to UC Irvine, the Eagles are receiving votes in the College Insider Mid-Major Poll with their only loss this season coming at a Pac-12 opponent, as they fell to Oregon State, 73-66, in Corvallis (Nov. 17). Sophomore Jaydia Martin is the team's leading scorer at 14.6 points per game. Junior Jacinta Buckley (12.0 ppg) and graduate student Jamie Loera (11.8 ppg) are also averaging double figures while they are tied for the lead with 6.2 rebounds per outing. In addition, Loera, a transfer from Arizona State, has dished out 4.4 assists per contest.
  
SERIES RECORD
UC Irvine and Eastern Washington are tied in their all-time series at four wins apiece. The two teams have not faced each other in over 10 years as the last meeting came in Cheney on Dec. 15, 2010. EWU pulled away with the 75-67 victory to even up the series.
 
LAST TIME OUT
UC Irvine started and finished strong for a 65-56 win over Long Island University last Friday at the Bren Events Center. The Anteaters scored the first seven points of the game and led by as many as 17 in the third period. The only time they trailed was for a three-minute stretch in the second quarter. They also held off a late rally by the Sharks, who cut UCI's 17-point lead down to six with just over five minutes remaining. Nikki Tom responded with her fourth triple of the game and Nevaeh Parkinson followed with a layup to push the margin back to double digits. Tom finished with a career-high 18 points to go along with six rebounds, three steals and two assists. She was 6-of-7 from the field and a perfect 4-of-4 from beyond the arc. Hunter Hernandez also had a season-best 11 points and seven boards, while Diaba Konate dished out a season-high seven assists.
 
TURNOVER TALK
The Anteaters forced 20+ turnovers in each of their first five games with a season-high 28 at Sacramento State and at Washington. As of Nov. 28, UCI ranks among the top-10 in all of NCAA Division I in steals per game (4th, 15.4), turnover margin (6th, 11.0) and turnovers forced per game (8th, 26.2). Since 2016-17, the 'Eaters have been one of the top teams in The Big West in turnovers forced with 18.0 per game.
 
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
UC Irvine has held its opponents to six single-digit scoring quarters, including three in the second half. Overall, the Anteaters have won the second half in three of their five outings and hold a 175-112 (+12.6 margin) advantage over the final 20 minutes. Most of that lopsided margin in the second half has started on the defensive end where UCI has scored 70 points off 67 forced turnovers, while committing only 35 miscues of its own.
 
COUNTDOWN TO 100
Head coach Tamara Inoue needs four more victories to hit the 100-win milestone. She is currently the second-winningest coach in program history (96). 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.
 
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
UC Irvine is getting used to being on the road as it is set to play its fourth game away from Irvine. The 'Eaters have already traveled to Sacramento State, Washington and Seattle U, going 2-1 during that three-game road swing. Overall, seven of the Anteaters' 11 non-conference games are on the road.
 
CARDIAC KIDS
Three of UC Irvine's last four games have been decided in the final seconds. At Sacramento State (Nov. 12), Diaba Konate hit the game-winning jumper with 0.2 ticks on the clock to lift the Anteaters to the 60-58 win. In a 54-53 victory at Seattle U on Nov. 19, it was Nevaeh Parkinson who finished the go-ahead layup with 4.2 seconds remaining. In addition, UCI's 62-60 double overtime loss at Pac-12 member Washington (Nov. 17) was won by the Huskies with nine seconds to go.
 
GIVE AND TAKE
Sophomore Nikki Tom is the Anteaters' assists (17) and steals (11) leader. In the team's 54-53 win at Seattle U, she finished with a season-high five assists and a career-best four steals. Her fifth dime came on the game-winning play as she delivered a perfect entry pass to Nevaeh Parkinson for the go-ahead layup. Tom, who is averaging 9.4 ppg, has also reached double figures in scoring in three of her five outings this year with a career-high 18 points on a 6-of-7 shooting performance (4-4 3FG) vs. LIU on Nov. 25.
 
WILLIAMS FOR THREE
Sophomore Olivia Williams found her stroke at Seattle U where she finished with a game and career-high 16 points. Williams topped her previous best of 14 from the season opener against Whittier. The 6-foot-1 guard went 6-of-12 from the field and drained a career-high four 3-pointers on eight attempts against the Redhawks. Williams is now second on the team with nine threes made and ranks third with 10.0 points per outing.
 
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. The graduate student now has 1,085 points with 803 in her three seasons at Long Beach State and 282 in her time at UCI. Hunt, who had a season-high 17 points at Sac State and at Washington (5-11 3FG), is currently tops on the squad in scoring (10.6 ppg) and rebounding (5.4 rpg).
 
SMOOTH TRANSITION
In her first year at UCI, junior transfer Diaba Konate leads the team in assists per game (3.8 apg) and steals per game (2.8 spg), while ranking second in scoring at 10.3 points per outing. Konate has made an immediate impact as an Anteater, scoring 11 points in the opener against Whittier, netting a season-high 16, including a buzzer-beating jumper at Sac State, and dishing out a season-best seven assists vs. LIU.
 
ON THE HORIZON
Naomi Hunt and Diaba Konate are both approaching career milestones. Hunt, who already surpassed 1K points, knocked down her 197th and 198th 3-pointers vs. LIU, putting her just two away from 200 in her career. In addition, Konate is on pace to reach 1,000 career points during the regular season as she is currently at 863.
 
LATE GAME IMPACT
Graduate transfer Nyagoa Gony played a key defensive role in UC Irvine's wins at Sac State and Seattle U. Against the Hornets, 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. Gony's fourth block at Seattle U also came on the last play of the contest to seal the 54-53 victory for the 'Eaters.
 
OPENING STATEMENT
Sophomore Déja Lee had the best game of her young career in UCI'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. In her first start of the season at Seattle U, Lee put up 12 points, four boards, three dimes and three steals.
 
HOME COOKING
Since 2017-18, UC Irvine is 49-20 (.710) at the Bren Events Center. In 2021-22, 12 of the Anteaters' school-record tying 21 victories came at home, and they owned a +10.0 scoring margin in games at the Bren. Dating back to last year, UCI has won eight consecutive home games.
 
OVERTIME NOTES
UC Irvine played its first double overtime game in more than 40 years at the University of Washington on Nov. 17. The Anteaters had not gone to a second extra period since Jan. 3, 1981, when they edged Army, 84-82. UCI has gone to OT seven times (4-3) in seventh-year head coach Tamara Inoue's tenure.
 
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
After taking a week off from competition for finals, UC Irvine will make its way to Fresno State for a 2 p.m. showdown on Sunday, Dec. 11.