Denver (1-5) at
UC Irvine (4-3)
Date: Saturday, Dec. 2
Time: 2 p.m. (PST)
Location: Bren Events Center (5,000) - Irvine, Calif.
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IRVINE, Calif. - UC Irvine women's basketball is back at the Bren Events Center this weekend as it hosts Denver Saturday, Dec. 2, at 2 p.m.

STARTING FIVE: STORYLINES
• UC Irvine has a streak of 41 consecutive games holding its opponent to under 70 points. The last time the Anteaters gave up 70+ was in an overtime win against UC Davis in the 2022 Big West quarterfinals (March 11, 2022). Last year, the 'Eaters finished the campaign ranked seventh in the nation in scoring defense with a program-record 53.2 points allowed per outing. Through seven games this season, they have given up just 57.7 points per contest.

• UCI's defense has been consistent to start the season, giving up 63 points or less in all seven games. The big difference has been on the offensive end. In their four wins, the Anteaters are averaging 71.3 points on 46% shooting from the field and 37% (26-71) from beyond the arc. In their three losses, the 'Eaters are averaging 49.7 points, while shooting 31% overall and 13% (8-62) from distance.

• UC Irvine has a balanced scoring effort with seven different players averaging at least 5.0 points per outing. Junior Déja Lee is tops on the squad at 13.3 ppg. She has four double-figure scoring performances, including a career-high 23 points in the season opener at Pepperdine. Lee went on to match that point total last week against St. Thomas. Graduate transfer Moulayna Johnson Sidi Baba has also registered 13.0 points in her three appearances. Sidi Baba, who missed the first four games recovering from an injury, drained a career-high 21 points at Texas Tech on Wednesday, Nov. 29.

• Through games of Nov. 30, junior Nikki Tom ranks 15th in the nation with 23 steals. Tom has a steal in all seven contests this year and recorded multiple takeaways on six occasions. She matched her career high with five steals against Eastern Washington  (Nov. 11) and at Texas Tech (Nov. 29). Tom is also fourth on the squad in scoring (8.1 ppg) and third in assists (1.9 apg). The 5-foot-9 guard was named to the 2023-24 Preseason All-Big West Team.

• The Anteaters have a road heavy non-conference schedule with seven of their 10 games being played away from home. They have already made their way to Pepperdine (Nov. 7), Saint Mary's (Nov. 14), and to Stockton where they faced St. Thomas and Pacific in the Tiger Turkey Tip-Off (Nov. 24-25). UCI is coming off a road trip to Texas Tech, and after a quick stop at the Bren Events Center on Saturday, the 'Eaters will head to New Mexico State (Dec. 5), before closing out the non-conference slate in Long Beach against Colorado State (Dec. 16). The 'Eaters are 2-3 in road and neutral-site games.

SCOUTING THE PIONEERS
Denver (1-5) suffered its fourth-straight loss with a 79-61 setback at Loyola Marymount on Thursday. The Pioneers' lone win came at North Alabama on Nov. 10. Sophomore guard Emma Smith is tops on the squad with 15.5 points per game. Sophomore guard Jordan Jones is also in double figures at 13.5 points per contest, while senior forward Makayla Minett has pulled down a team-best 7.7 rebounds per outing. Doshia Woods is in her fourth year at the helm of the Denver women's basketball program.

SERIES RECORD
UC Irvine and Denver are tied in their all-time series, 2-2. The two teams last met in Denver on Nov. 29, 2019, with the Pioneers taking the 83-75 victory. Saturday will mark the first meeting in Irvine since 2012.

THE BIG 5-0
The 2023-24 campaign is the 50th season of UC Irvine women's basketball. In their inaugural year (1974-75), the Anteaters went 7-4 under head coach Dorene Cowart. They earned the program's first win in their second game with a 52-33 victory over UC San Diego. Since then, UCI has produced five 20-win seasons, one Big West championship, one Big West tournament title, two All-Americans and four UCI Athletics Hall of Fame members.

HOME SWEET HOME
Since 2017-18, UC Irvine is 60-22 (.732) when playing at the Bren Events Center. Dating back to last year, the Anteaters have won five consecutive home games.

LAST TIME OUT
UC Irvine led for more than 20 minutes but was unable to hold off a late surge from the Lady Raiders in a 60-54 loss to undefeated Texas Tech Wednesday at United Supermarkets Arena. The Anteaters took control in the second quarter as they closed out the period on a 12-2 run to go up, 30-21. They kept their foot on the gas in the third frame, staying out front and taking their largest lead of the night at 41-31 on a putback from Nevaeh Parkinson at the 3:42 mark. TTU then found its stride with a 10-2 spurt of its own to close the gap to two. The home team went on to outscore UCI, 19-11, in the final frame for the six-point win. Moulayna Johnson Sidi Baba led the 'Eaters with a career-high 21 points. She was 8-of-16 from the field and a perfect 5-of-5 at the free throw line. Déja Lee added eight points and four rebounds, while Parkinson finished with seven points, five boards and three blocks.

IN THE RANKINGS
UC Irvine was receiving votes in the latest College Insider Women's Mid-Major Poll released on Nov. 28. Last year, the Anteaters made their way into the Top 25 on Dec. 27, 2022, and remained in the rankings for the rest of the season. They rose to as high as No. 13 (Jan. 24), which was a program best, before closing out the year at No. 23.

TENACIOUS D
UC Irvine, which concluded the 2022-23 campaign ranked seventh in all of NCAA Division I with a program-record 53.2 points allowed per game, has picked up right where it left off. The Anteaters have held all six of their opponents to under 65, giving up a Big West-leading 57.7 points per outing. 

STARTING LINE
Junior Déja Lee is off to an impressive start in 2023-24, leading the team in scoring (13.3 ppg) and ranking second in assists (2.9 apg). The 5-foot-9 point guard has four double-figure scoring games this season, finishing with a career-high 23 in the opener at Pepperdine and against St. Thomas, 14 against Eastern Washington and 13 vs. Seattle U. She now has 19 career 10+ point games and four 20-point performances in her two-plus years at UCI.

IMMEDIATE IMPACT
Graduate transfer Moulayna Johnson Sidi Baba, who missed the first four games of the season recovering from an injury, has made an immediate impact, averaging 13.0 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals since her Anteater debut on Nov. 24. Most recently, Sidi Baba poured in a career-high 21 points (8-16 FG, 5-5 FT) Wednesday at Big 12 member Texas Tech. The 6-foot-1 guard/forward also reached double figures with 10 points (3-6 FG) vs. St. Thomas, and came back the next day to finish with eight points and a game-high tying five rebounds against tournament host Pacific at the Tiger Turkey Tip-Off.

NEVAEH NIGHT
Seniors Nevaeh Dean and Nevaeh Parkinson were phenomenal in the Anteaters' 71-63 win over Eastern Washington on Nov. 20. The two post players combined for 30 points on 13-17 shooting (76%). After the 'Eaters fell behind by three with just over two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Parkinson went to work down low with back-to-back layups before Dean knocked down her second triple of the night to make it a four-point game with 36 seconds on the clock.

OFF THE BENCH
Nevaeh Parkinson, the reigning Big West Best Sixth Player, has continued to provide a spark off the bench for the Anteaters. The 6-foot-3 center is averaging 9.7 points and a team-best 6.1 rebounds per game. Against Seattle U (Nov. 11), Parkinson went 8-for-11 from the floor to finish with a career-high 17 points. She ranks first in The Big West with a 65.2 (30-46) field goal percentage.

IRON WOMAN
Junior Nikki Tom has played in every game since her arrival at UC Irvine in 2021-22. She leads the team with 72 consecutive appearances, 49 consecutive starts and 2,037 minutes (28.3 mpg) in an Anteater uniform. The Fresno native currently leads the team and ranks 15th in the nation with 23 steals (3.3/gm). She had a career-high tying five takeaways against Eastern Washington (Nov. 20) and at Texas Tech (Nov. 29). Tom is also averaging 8.1 points per outing. She has four double-figure scoring games with a season-high 15 points at Pacific. The 5-foot-9 guard was named to the All-Big West Preseason Coaches Team.

GIVE AND TAKE
Fifth-year senior Diaba Konate is tops on the squad with 30 assists (4.3 apg). She has dished out 21 dimes over the last four games, including a season-high eight against Eastern Washington on Nov. 20. Konate has also been active on the defensive end, recording at least one steal in 32 of her 36 appearances as an Anteater. Last year, the All-Big West Defensive Team selection tied for eighth in single-season school history with 63 steals. In her career at both Idaho State and UC Irvine, Konate has amassed 1,120 points, 370 rebounds, 414 assists and 227 steals.

DEAN FROM DOWNTOWN
Last year, Nevaeh Dean didn't attempt her first 3-pointer until the Anteaters' 26th game, but finished with three triples over the final four weeks of the campaign. This year, the 6-foot-2 forward has already matched that total as she is a perfect 3-of-3 from beyond the arc. Against Eastern Washington (Nov. 20), she went 6-for-9 from the field and knocked down both of her threes for a career-high 15 points. Dean, who transferred from Cincinnati last year, has started 38 of 39 games played at UC Irvine.

UP NEXT
UC Irvine is back on the road next week, traveling to Las Cruces for a Tuesday (Dec. 5) showdown at New Mexico State. The Anteaters and Aggies will square off at 6 p.m. (MT)/5 p.m. (PT).