Cal Poly (3-19, 2-11 Big West) at
UC Irvine (17-10, 12-4 Big West)
Date: Thursday, March 3
Time: 7 p.m. (PST)
Location: Bren Events Center (5,000) - Irvine, Calif.
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CSU Bakersfield (4-17, 3-9 Big West) at
UC Irvine (17-10, 12-4 Big West)
Date: Saturday, March 5
Time: 2 p.m. (PST)
Location: Bren Events Center (5,000) - Irvine, Calif.
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UC Irvine Game Notes

IRVINE, Calif. - The UC Irvine women's basketball team concludes the regular season at home this week, starting on Thursday, March 3, when it squares off against Cal Poly at 7 p.m. The Anteaters then welcome CSU Bakersfield to the Bren Events Center for a 2 p.m. showdown on Saturday, March 5.
 
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
• This week will mark the final home games for Melodie Kapinga, Tara Dusharm and team manager Kaitlyn Oberg.
• They will be recognized in a postgame senior ceremony on Saturday.
• The 'Eaters remain in contention for their first Big West regular-season championship in school history.
• They can claim the outright title with two wins and a Hawai'i loss; or a split, two UH losses and an LBSU loss.
• UCI was the first team to reach 10 wins in Big West play with a 67-50 victory over UC San Diego (Feb. 15).
• The Anteaters' 12 conference wins are tied with the 1994-95 NCAA Tournament team for the most in program history.
• Over the last two years, the 'Eaters are 23-8 in regular-season Big West games.
• They have secured UC Irvine's first back-to-back campaigns with 10+ conference victories.
• UCI has held its opponents to fewer than 60 points in 10 of its 16 league games.
• Kayla Williams is averaging a team-best 14.7 ppg, and is tops on the squad in 3FG made (54), assists (113) and steals (61).
• Williams' 54 triples and 61 steals both rank eighth in single-season school history.
• She has connected from deep in 40 consecutive games played.

BATTLE FOR THE BIG WEST TITLE
With two games remaining, the Big West regular-season championship and No. 1 seed in the upcoming conference tournament are still up for grabs between three teams - UC Irvine, Hawai'i and Long Beach State. The Rainbow Wahine currently hold the top spot with an 11-3 (.786) record and can control their own fate as two wins will clinch their first title since 2015. The Anteaters, who have never won a conference championship, are second at 12-4 (.750), while the Beach is third at 11-5 (.688). The 'Eaters are guaranteed their third-straight top-three league finish. They can take the outright title with two wins and a Rainbow Wahine loss; or a split, two UH losses and an LBSU loss.
 
SCOUTING THE MUSTANGS
Cal Poly (3-19, 2-11 Big West) is on a five-game losing streak after falling to CSU Bakersfield and Hawai'i last week. Maddie Vick leads the Mustangs with 10.5 points and 3.8 assists per outing. Maddie Willett is also averaging 9.1 points, while making a team-best 31 threes.
 
SERIES RECORD
UCI trails in its all-time series with Cal Poly, 37-28, but has won four in a row. The Anteaters defeated the Mustangs, 64-52, in the first meeting of the year at Mott Athletics Center on Jan. 29. Kayla Williams led UCI with 14 points and four assists, while Hannah Scanlan paced Cal Poly with a game-high 22 points.
 
SCOUTING THE ROADRUNNERS
After dropping 16 of its first 18, which included a 13-game losing streak, CSU Bakersfield (4-17, 3-9 Big West) has won two of its last three with victories coming against UC Davis and Cal Poly. Jayden Eggleston is tops on the squad with 15.7 points and 6.4 rebounds per contest.
 
SERIES RECORD
UC Irvine trails in its all-time series with CSU Bakersfield, 12-6. The 'Eaters have won the last two, including an 81-73 decision at the Icardo Center on Jan. 27. Chloe Webb anchored the effort with a career-high 26 points on 10-of-11 shooting, while Kayla Williams finished with 12 points and nine assists. Jayden Eggleston led the 'Runners with a team-best 19 points.
 
LAST TIME OUT
UC Irvine routed Long Beach State, 70-47, last Saturday at the Walter Pyramid. With the win, the Anteaters took over sole possession of second place in the Big West standings. After getting out to a slow start with only six points in the first quarter, the 'Eaters outscored the Beach, 28-10, in the second and never looked back as they led by double digits the rest of the way. Kayla Williams finished with a game-high 18 points on a 7-for-11 shooting performance (3-4 3FG). She also had three steals, two assists and tied her season best with eight rebounds. Naomi Hunt added 13 points and five boards, while Chloe Webb had 10 points, seven rebounds and three steals.
 
CONFERENCE LEADERS
UC Irvine enters the week ranked first in the Big West in overall scoring offense (66.6 ppg), scoring margin (+6.4), FT percentage (75.7), and offensive rebounds per game (13.3). Individually, Kayla Williams is among the top-five in the conference in scoring (5th), assists (2nd), steals (3rd), 3FG made (3rd) and assist-to-turnover ratio (4th).
 
DOUBLE DIGIT TIDBITS
UCI has had multiple players score in double figures in 23 of its 27 games. Kayla Williams is tops on the squad with 23 double-digit performances, while Chloe Webb is second with 14. In addition, 11 of the team's 17 wins have come by 10+ points.
 
DEFENSIVE PROWESS
The 'Eaters have held their opponents to under 60 points 14 times this season (13-1), 10 of which have come in Big West games. They limited UC Santa Barbara to a season-low in points scored in a 58-31 win on Feb. 3. It was the fewest points the Anteaters allowed against an NCAA Division I opponent since 1991. UC Irvine also held UCR to a season-low three points in the fourth quarter on Feb. 10.
 
TURNOVER TALK
The Anteaters have forced 15+ turnovers in 21 of their 27 games (17.4/gm), with a season-high 25 vs. UC Riverside on Jan. 8. Since 2016-17, they have forced 17.9 turnovers per outing and have consistently been one of the top teams in the Big West in that category.
 
RECORD WATCH
Jayde Cadee is making her way up UCI's all-time charts in 3-pointers made as she is now tied for fourth in program history with 138 career triples. With 27 blocks this season, Sophia Locandro has also increased her career total to 85, which puts her in sole possession of eighth all-time at UC Irvine. In addition, Kayla Williams is eighth in single-season school history in both 3-pointers made (54) and steals (61).
 
HOME & AWAY
Since 2017-18, UC Irvine has compiled a 46-20 (.697) record at the Bren Events Center. This season, 10 of the Anteaters' 17 victories have come at home while they own a +10.3 scoring margin in games at the Bren. The 'Eaters are also 6-6 in true road games, with all of those wins coming in Big West play where they are 6-2.
 
BENCH PRODUCTION
UCI has outscored its opponents in bench points, 620-399 (+8.3 margin). All 14 'Eaters have made their way into the scoring column, 11 have at least one double-figure scoring game, and eight are averaging at least 4.0 points per outing. In addition, every Anteater who has appeared in at least 10 games is averaging more than 5.0 minutes.
 
WALKING BUCKET
Kayla Williams has reached double figures in scoring in 42 of 49 career games played with nine 20-plus point performances. Williams, who had a season-high 25 points at Cal State Fullerton on Jan. 20, is averaging a team-best 14.7 ppg overall and 15.9 ppg in Big West play. The 5-foot-7 point guard owns a career high of 32 points which she set at Cal Poly on Jan. 23, 2021. 
 
SPINNING HER WEBB
Chloe Webb has been impressive in conference action, averaging 11.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.4 steals in 13 games played. She has reached double figures in scoring in eight of those outings with a career-high 26 points at CSUB on Jan. 27. Since Jan. 6, she has shot 50% (55-110) from the field, 53% (8-15) from beyond the arc and 82% (32-39) at the free throw line.
 
NEAR PERFECTION
Webb was just shy of becoming the first Anteater in program history to have a perfect shooting performance with at least 10 field goals made. She still set the single-game school record at 90.9% (10-11) in a win at CSU Bakersfield on Jan. 27. Her only miss against the Roadrunners came at the 8:33 mark of the third period, and on that miss she got her own rebound, was fouled and went to the charity stripe where she made both free throws. Webb finished the evening with a career-high 26 points.
 
3-POINT THREAT
Jayde Cadee is one of the Anteaters' biggest threats from the perimeter. In 15 Big West games, she has made 32 3-pointers, and is shooting 41% from deep. On Feb. 5, Cadee went 6-for-11 from behind the arc for a season-high 20 points against CSUN, while she was also 5-of-10 for 15 points vs. UC Riverside (Jan. 8).
 
THE HUNT FOR 1,000
Naomi Hunt needs 19 points to reach 1,000 in her collegiate career. The graduate transfer scored 803 points in her three seasons at Long Beach State, while she has 178 (6.8 ppg) this year at UCI. Hunt owns nine double-figure scoring games as an Anteater, and is coming off a 13-point performance in a 70-47 win at LBSU last Saturday.
 
ACCESS DENIED
Sophia Locandro ranks third in the Big West with 1.04 blocks per game. The 6-foot-3 forward has registered at least one block in 18 of her 26 appearances with a career-high tying four at California Baptist on Nov. 20. Locandro also ranks third on the squad in scoring (8.3 ppg) and second in rebounding (4.8 rpg).
 
DOUBLE DUTY
UCI is 6-0 when an Anteater finishes with a double-double this season. Chloe Webb has a team-best three, putting up 13 points/13 rebounds at UC Riverside, 11 points/10 rebounds vs. SJSU, and 14 points/13 rebounds against Southern Utah. Melodie Kapinga had the first of the year with 11 points and a career-high 10 boards in 13 minutes against Westcliff. Naomi Hunt also registered 17 points and 12 rebounds vs. Sacramento State, while Sophia Locandro notched 10 points/10 boards vs. UCSD.
 
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, the 2021 Big West co-Coach of the Year has made her way up to No. 2 on UCI's all-time wins list with 88 career victories.

UP NEXT
UC Irvine will begin the 2022 Hercules Tires Big West Basketball Championships, presented by The Hawaiian Islands in the quarterfinal round on Wednesday, March 9, at The Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, Nevada.