FOLLOW THE ANTEATERS
UC Irvine Anteaters (11-7, 6-3) at UC San Diego (11-12)
Tuesday, February 15 - 7:00 p.m.
RIMAC (5,000) - La Jolla, Calif.

AM 830 KLAA Radio | KUCI Radio | Live Stats | ESPN+ | Notes

The Big West Game of the Week on Spectrum Sportsnet
UC Irvine Anteaters (11-7, 6-3) vs. Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors (12-8, 7-3)
Saturday, February 19 - 1:00 p.m.
Bren Events Center (5,000) - Irvine, Calif.

Tickets | AM 830 KLAA Radio | KUCI Radio | Live Stats | ESPN+ | Notes
 

UC Irvine is on a five-game win streak as it heads down to face the Tritons Tuesday and welcome in the Rainbow Warriors Saturday for The Big West Game of the Week

Storylines
· The Anteaters returned to the win column and have won five straight games over CSU Bakersfield, Cal Poly, UCSB, CSUN, and UC Riverside allowing 55.5 points per game during the streak.
· UCI had another spirited second half performance to come from behind and beat UC Riverside. UCI scored 43 second-half points Thursday, its third-best scoring period of 2021-22, and first time they're scored 40+ in a half while not reaching 70 points for the game.
· UC Irvine leads the nation in three-point defense allowing 26% on the season. UCI shut down CSU Bakersfield allowing zero makes on 12 shots from deep two weeks ago. Opponents are just 18-for-81 in the five-game win streak from three.
· Collin Welp continues to climb the Anteater record books. He has surpassed his coaches, Alex Young and Michael Wilder, already this season. He's alone in ninth in program history with 1,405 points after beginning the year 26th in UCI history. Welp is rising up the rebound records as well now with 673. He's ascended to 12th all-time in UCI history after starting the season 23rd surpassing Ben McDonald vs. UC Riverside and is now 12 behind Tommy Rutherford for 11th.
· Welp has put up big numbers during this season. He scored his third double-double on Thursday joining double-doubles at Long Beach State and Santa Clara. Welp put up 25 second-half points hitting all 10 shots en route to a 30-point night; his second 30-point career game, at UC Riverside. He has 10 career games with 20+ points in his career, two this season joined by 24 points at USC. He's rising up the ranks at 78th nationally and second in Big West from the line shooting 84.7%.
· UCI has had multiple players hit double figures in 16 of 18 games this year including the first 13 games of the year. Collin Welp has reached double digits in 16 of 18 games. UCI has had three with double digits in six games and four in double digits vs. La Verne.
· High scorers have come from seven different Anteaters in their 18 games. Welp has led the team in scoring nine times while five different players have led the team in rebounding led by Welp nine times, and eight different players leading or tied for most assists led by Justin Hohn six times.
· Nationally, the Anteater defense is among the nation's best. UCI was tops in the NCAA in scoring defense in mid-December settling in at 16th in the NCAA as the conclusion of non-conference play. Entering the week, UCI allows 59.1 points per game, eighth in the nation, which included 48 points allowed vs. Cal Poly and the lowest-scoring half of 19. The 'Eaters are 9-0 when keeping opponents under 60 points in a game and four times have held teams to 50 or less.
· UCI also ranks first nationally in defending the three at 26%. In addition, it is ninth in overall field goal percentage leading the conference at 38%, and top 100 in rebounding margin, defensive rebounds per game, total rebounds per game, and scoring margin.
· Austin Johnson has been a prolific shot blocker with 46 this season and ranking 23rd nationally with 2.56 per game, both numbers leading the conference, and posted his third 5-block game Thursday. He also put down 16 points at UC Riverside for his highest career total vs. a DI foe.
· Fall 2021 Dean's List was announced with 113 UCI student-athletes recognized with GPAs over 3.50. Collin Welp, Bent Leuchten, and Emmanuel Tshimanga made the list for men's basketball.
· Will Davis II returns to the G-League after being claimed by the South Bay Lakers in late December. The Anteater alum joins his fifth G-League team since becoming a pro in 2015. He's played six games so far posting 2.7 PPG, 3.0 RPG, and 1.3 BPG in 11.1 minutes a game. Other Anteaters currently playing pro are Tommy Rutherford in Switzerland, Brad Greene in Germany, Jonathan Galloway in Finland, Eyassu Worku in North Macedonia, and Luke Nelson in France

26% - The Anteaters are the best in the nation at defending the three allowing opponents to shoot 26% from beyond the arc. UCI allows just 59.1 points per game, 8th-lowest in the NCAA including allowing 18-for-81 in their 5-game win streak and 0-for-12 from CSUB in their game

3rd - Collin Welp's last game featured his 3rd double-double of the season and 13th of his career with 15 points and 13 rebounds. He reached 1,400 career point in the process, and passed Ben McDonald for 12th in UC Irvine rebounding history with 673 in his career

9-0 - UC Irvine is 11-7 this season and in half of them have held opponents under 60 points going 9-0 in those games. UCI has held Big West opponents under five times allowing a Big West-best 59.9 points per game in their nine conference games

9th - The 'Eaters have built a five-game win streak now up to 3rd in the Big West. The streak marks the 9th straight season the UCI has posted a streak of 5 or more wins in conference play. 

The 2021-22 Anteaters
· Collin Welp has earned Big West Player of the Week twice. He has four at UCI and both this season for UCI. The first coming November 29 featured a performance at Santa Clara where he had a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds. He claimed a second January 10 following his second career 30-point game at UC Riverside scoring 25 in the second half. He was named one of the Big West All-Big West Players of 2021 according to Hoops HD. Welp was also was 1 of 50 players named to the 2021-22 Lou Henson National Player of the Year award preseason list presented to the top mid-major player annually. UCI has been a staple on Mid-Major Top 25 polls at as high as No. 10 in some polls this season.
· UC Irvine finished 5-4 in non-conference play, the fourth winning record through non-conference play under head coach Russell Turner with UCI winning the Big West the three previous times.
· Non-conference play featured a spotless home record of 4-0 including impactful wins over Boise State holding them to 50 points and a 34-point victory over Pepperdine.
· UCI's tough road slate sent them to New Mexico State to start the year as well as Fresno State and nearly overtaking an undefeated, 10th-ranked USC squad in the Galen Center. UCI scored one road victory defeating a stout Santa Clara squad with a late-game 14-2 run.
· UC Irvine began what was supposed to be a 27-day stretch away from the Bren Events Center after their win over Bethesda December 3. With the cancelations to begin Big West play, UCI returns Thursday to the Bren ending a stretch of 48 days without a home game. Following the postponement vs. Buffalo, UCI played at UC Riverside after a 20-day layoff between contests. The 'Eaters played in Akron, Ohio at the LeBron James Arena at St. Vincent/St. Mary's High School taking on Duquesne in a loss. Their road trip of 27 days away from the Bren Events Center was cut short as its trip to Buffalo to end it was postponed due to health and safety protocols.
· The Big West announced the Big West Game of the Week that will be televised on Spectrum SportsNet. One matchup will be broadcasted each Saturday at 1:00 p.m. during conference season with UCI featured twice: February 19 vs. Hawai'i and March 5 at CSU Bakersfield. A third was added, Saturday, January 20 at LBSU, after a cancelation.
· UCI was selected to finish second in the Big West according to the Coaches Poll. The Anteaters earned four of nine first-place votes finishing one vote behind preseason favorite, UC Santa Barbara. The Preseason Media Poll also selected UCI to finish second, three votes behind UCSB, and with two of the 11 first-place votes. Preseason All-Big West featured Collin Welp on both the Coaches' and Media teams. He was 1 of 4 players (Maddox—CSF, Manjon—UCD, Sow—UCSB) to appear on both teams. Dawson Baker earned honorable mention recognition on the media's team.
· The 2020-21 Anteaters had six players recognized on the Big West Winter All-Academic squad. To be eligible, student-athletes must maintain a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA, complete one full year at their member institution, and compete in at least 50% of their team's contests. Four current members of the team were recognized in Isaiah Lee, Collin Welp, Emmanuel Tshimanga, and Ofure Ujadughele. That quartet was joined by alums Jeron Artest and Brad Greene. That 2020-21 squad also earned Team Academic Excellence Awards and Honors Court from the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). UC Irvine was the only Big West school to earn the distinction. Brad Greene was recognized on the Honors Court making it for a second consecutive year.

Tuesday at UC San Diego
· UC Irvine plays at UCSD Tuesday night meeting for the first time this season. The squads met three times in 2020-21 with UCI winning all three. All-time, UCI is 12-1 against the Tritons losing once back in 1977. UCSD is still in a transition period coming up from Division II so this game will not count toward either team's Big West win-loss record.
· The Tritons have held their own going 7-10 last year with four Big West wins. They're 10-12 in 2021-22 with four Big West wins over the likes of UCSB, CSUB, and CSUN twice. They started the season out with double-digits wins at Cal and over George Washington, and have defending home turf well at 7-2.
· Toni Rocak commands the Triton gameplan leading the squad in scoring, rebounding, steals, and blocks as a 6-9 senior Swiss forward. Three Tritons put up more minutes than Rocak with Jake Killingsworth and Jace Roquemore each averaging 31.6 a game with big numbers from three. Sophomore guard Bryce Pope also adds 12.2 PPG. As a team, they score and allow around 69 points a game.

Saturday vs. Hawai'i
· UCI looks to avenge a 16-point loss on the island hosting Hawai'i Saturday for a 1:00 p.m. tip on Spectrum Sportsnet. Since then, UH went on a run beating UCSD, CSUB, Cal Poly, CSUN, and dropping UCSB at home, but have lost three straight to UCR, UCD, and LBSU to draw even in the standings with UC Irvine at 6-3.
· Noel Coleman and Bernardo Da Silva had 16 points each in the win seeing the Bows make 11 threes and outrebound UCI. Hawai'i averages 71.4 points a game and shoots the best in the conference from three. They also commit a lot of turnovers - 12.4 a game in conference - and last in the NCAA in steals per game.
· Hawai'i makes its return to the Bren for the first time since 2020. UCI has won the last two at home in the series and are 7-3 against the Bows all-time in Irvine.