UC Irvine (6-3) vs.
Colorado State (8-0)
Date: Saturday, Dec. 16
Time: 7:00 p.m. (PST)
Location: Walter Pyramid (4,200) - Long Beach, Calif.

IRVINE, Calif. - UC Irvine women's basketball will play one game as part of Long Beach State's Beach Classic this weekend. The Anteaters are scheduled to face undefeated Colorado State on Saturday, Dec. 16. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. at the Walter Pyramid.

STARTING FIVE: STORYLINES
• UC Irvine has a streak of 43 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). UCI's defense has been consistent to start the season, allowing 63 points or less in all nine games and 60 or fewer in six of those outings to lead the Big West in scoring defense at 56.2 ppg. The big difference has been on the offensive end. In their six wins, the 'Eaters are averaging 66.0 points on 42% shooting from the field and 31% (33-106) from beyond the arc. In their three losses, the Anteaters are averaging 49.7 points, while shooting 31% overall and 13% (8-62) from distance.

• On Saturday, UC Irvine will face a potent Colorado State offense that is averaging 76.3 points per contest. McKenna Hofschild has led the way as she ranks first in the nation in assists per game (8.8 apg) and 10th in scoring (22.6 ppg). UCI has been pitted against a team averaging over 70.0 ppg four times this season and held all four of those opponents to under 65. The Rams have also been solid defensively, allowing only 53.9 ppg to rank 28th in all of NCAA Division I.

• UC Irvine has a balanced scoring effort with six different players averaging at least 6.0 points per game. Junior Déja Lee has registered a team-best 11.8 points per outing. Lee has four double-figure scoring performances, including a career-high 23 points in the season opener at Pepperdine and vs. St. Thomas. Graduate student Moulayna Johnson Sidi Baba is also in double figures, averaging 11.5 points in her four appearances. Sidi Baba netted a career-high 21 points at Texas Tech on Nov. 29.

• Entering the weekend, UCI leads the Big West in win percentage (.667), scoring defense (56.2 ppg), steals (10.7 spg), turnovers forced (20.3), turnover margin (3.2) and free throw percentage (.782). The Anteaters' free throw percentage is also 22nd in all of NCAA Division I, while they rank among the top-50 in the nation in steals (46th) and turnovers forced (49th).

• The Anteaters have a road heavy non-conference schedule with seven of their 10 games being played away from home. They enter Saturday's non-conference finale with a 2-3 record in true road games and a 1-0 record in neutral-site games. After Saturday's contest, the 'Eaters will have a 12-day layoff before starting Big West play at UC Riverside on Thursday, Dec. 28.

SCOUTING THE RAMS
Colorado State (8-0) was receiving votes in this week's AP Poll as one of 18 undefeated teams in all of NCAA Division I. The Rams will face Long Beach State this Friday, Dec. 15, prior to their meeting with UC Irvine. Graduate student McKenna Hofschild is coming off a near triple double as she finished with 36 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in a 78-69 victory at Montana (Dec. 9). On the season, Hofschild, a 5-foot-2 point guard, ranks 10th in the country in scoring (22.6 ppg) and leads the nation in assists per game (8.8 apg). Ryun Williams is in his 12th year as head coach at Colorado State.

SERIES RECORD
UC Irvine trails in its all-time series with Colorado State, 3-1. The two teams last met on Nov. 26, 2005, with the Rams taking the 85-65 victory in Fort Collins.

DEFENSE IS KEY
UC Irvine, which concluded the 2022-23 campaign ranked seventh in the nation with a program-record 53.2 points allowed per game, has picked up right where it left off. The Anteaters have held six of their nine opponents to 60 points or less and lead The Big West in scoring defense (56.2 ppg). They are also tops in the conference in turnovers forced (20.3/gm), turnover margin (3.2) and steals (10.7 spg). 

MID-MAJOR POLL
UC Irvine was receiving votes in the latest College Insider Women's Mid-Major Poll released on Dec. 12. 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.

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 61-22 (.735) when playing at the Bren Events Center. Dating back to last year, the Anteaters have won six consecutive home games.

LAST TIME OUT
UC Irvine made the final push in a back-and-forth battle to defeat New Mexico State, 61-55, last Tuesday in Las Cruces. There were 13 ties and nine lead changes before the Anteaters were able to create some separation in the fourth quarter where they outscored the Aggies, 24-18. After UCI started the final period on a 9-0 run, NM State came storming back to reclaim a 51-50 edge with 2:49 remaining. The 'Eaters then dug deep as they held the home team without a field goal the rest of the way. Shirel Nahum led all players with a season-high 16 points. She was 6-for-11 from the field and a perfect 3-of-3 at the free throw line. Diaba Konate also reached double figures with 11 points, while Moulayna Johnson Sidi Baba pulled down a season-best nine rebounds.

IN THE CLUTCH
UC Irvine has been clutch at the free throw line late in games as it is 26-for-32 (81.3%) from the charity stripe in the final two minutes of regulation. In their last five outings, the Anteaters have made 13 consecutive free throws with under two minutes to play.

STRENGTH IN NUMBERS
The 'Eaters have used the same starting lineup in every game this season. Four of UCI's starters are among the team's top-five leading scorers, but the bench has also been a force to be reckoned with as the Anteaters have outscored their opponents in bench points by a 14.3 margin (246-117). Their 27.3 bench points per game rank 42nd in the nation.

TWENTY-TWENTY
Junior Déja Lee has two of UCI's three 20-point performances this season. Lee drained a career-high 23 points in the opener at Pepperdine before matching that total against St. Thomas on Nov. 24. The 5-foot-9 point guard ranks first on the team in scoring (11.8 ppg) and second in assists (2.7 apg). She has 19 career 10+ point games and four 20-point efforts in Anteater career.

POWER 5 IMPACT
Moulayna Johnson Sidi Baba, a graduate transfer from Miami, is averaging 11.5 points and 4.3 rebounds since her UCI debut on Nov. 24. Sidi Baba poured in a career-high 21 points (8-16 FG, 5-5 FT) at Big 12 member Texas Tech on Nov. 29. The 6-foot-1 guard/forward also reached double figures with 10 points vs. St. Thomas, and pulled down a season-best nine rebounds at New Mexico State.

IRON WOMAN
Junior Nikki Tom has played in every game since her arrival at UC Irvine in 2021-22. She leads the team with 74 consecutive appearances, 51 consecutive starts and 2,107 minutes (28.5 mpg) in an Anteater uniform. The Fresno native currently leads the team and ranks among the top-45 in the nation with 25 steals (2.8/gm). She had a career-high tying five takeaways against Eastern Washington (Nov. 20) and at Texas Tech (Nov. 29). Tom is also averaging 8.0 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists 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 34 assists (3.8 apg). She has dished out 25 dimes over the last six 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 34 of her 38 appearances as an Anteater. She had a season-best five takeaways against Denver on Dec. 2. 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 1,137 points, 374 rebounds, 418 assists and 234 steals.

OFF THE BENCH
Senior 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 9.4 points and a team-best 6.8 rebounds per game, while shooting 56.9% from the field. Against Seattle U (Nov. 11), Parkinson went 8-for-11 from the floor to finish with a career-high 17 points. She also pulled down a season-best 11 rebounds in a win over Denver on Dec. 2. 

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 40 of 41 games played at UC Irvine.

UP NEXT
UC Irvine opens Big West play on the road, traveling to UC Riverside for a 6 p.m. showdown on Thursday, Dec. 28.