UC Irvine (5-3) at
New Mexico State (4-3)
Date: Tuesday, Dec. 5
Time: 6 p.m. (MT) / 5 p.m. (PT)
Location: Pan American Center (12,572) - Las Cruces, N.M.

IRVINE, Calif. - UC Irvine women's basketball is on the road for one game this week, traveling to Las Cruces for a non-conference tilt at New Mexico State. The Anteaters and Aggies will square off Tuesday, Dec. 5, at 6 p.m. (MT)/5 p.m. (PT). 

STARTING FIVE: STORYLINES
• UC Irvine has a streak of 42 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 eight games this season, they have given up a Big West-leading 56.4 points per contest. 

• UCI's defense has been consistent to start the season, giving up 63 points or less in all eight games, and 60 or fewer in five of those outings. The big difference has been on the offensive end. In their five wins, the Anteaters are averaging 67.0 points on 41% shooting from the field and 32% (30-93) 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. Graduate transfer Moulayna Johnson Sidi Baba has registered a team-best 13.0 ppg 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 Nov. 29 Junior Déja Lee is also averaging 12.4 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. 

• Through games of Dec. 3, junior Nikki Tom ranks 17th in the nation with 24 steals. Tom has a steal in all eight 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 (7.9 ppg) and third in assists (1.6 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 enter Tuesday's contest at New Mexico State with a 1-3 record in true road games and a 1-0 record in neutral-site games. Next week, the 'Eaters will close out their non-conference slate in Long Beach against Colorado State (Dec. 16).

SCOUTING THE AGGIES
New Mexico State (4-3) saw its four-game win streak come to an end with a 67-52 loss to in-state rival New Mexico on Saturday, Dec. 2. Senior guard Molly Kaiser is the Aggies' leading scorer at 13.9 points per outing. Junior guard Sabou Gueye and senior forward Ene Adams are also tops on the squad with 5.6 rebounds per contest. Jody Adams is in her second year as NMSU's head coach.

SERIES RECORD
UC Irvine trails in its all-time series with New Mexico State, 17-11. The two teams have not met since Dec. 18, 2013, when the Anteaters defeated the Aggies, 75-52, in Irvine. NM State is a former Big West member, leaving the conference prior to the 2000-01 season.

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 five of their eight opponents to 60 points or less and lead The Big West in scoring defense (56.4 ppg). They are also tops in the conference in turnovers forced (20.8/gm), turnover margin (4.1) and steals (11.1 spg). New Mexico State has been stingy on the defensive end as well, ranking first among Conference USA members with 55.6 points allowed per contest.

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.

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 remained unbeaten at home with a 50-47 win over Denver last Saturday, Dec. 2, at the Bren Events Center. UCI got out to a slow start but used a 14-0 run to close out the second quarter for a 26-23 lead at the half. The Pioneers reclaimed the advantage in the third period before a traditional three-point play by Déja Lee in the final minute brought the Anteaters even at 38-all. The home team then outscored Denver, 12-9, in the fourth to hold on for the victory. All 10 'Eaters who saw the court made their way into the scoring column. Amelia Scharpf and Nevaeh Parkinson led the way with eight points apiece. Parkinson also pulled down a game and season-high 11 rebounds. Lee finished with six points, seven boards, three assists, two steals and two blocks, while Diaba Konate added six points and a season-best five steals. Nevaeh Dean also corralled a season-high eight rebounds.

CONNECTIONS
The UC Irvine coaching staff has strong ties to New Mexico State. Head coach Tamara Inoue and associate head coach Cecilia Russell-Nava were both on the Aggies' staff prior to coming to UCI in 2016. Russell-Nava and assistant coach Tyler Ellis are also NM State alums. Ellis helped the Aggies to three-straight Western Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament titles.

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) at Big 12 member Texas Tech on Nov. 29. 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.

TWENTY-TWENTY
Junior Déja Lee has two of the Anteaters' 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 second on the team in scoring (12.4 ppg) and assists (2.9 apg). She has 19 career 10+ point games and four 20-point efforts in her two-plus years at UCI. Lee is looking to break out of a slump over the last three games where she is 0-for-10 from beyond the arc.

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 9.5 points and a team-best 6.8 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 also pulled down a season-best 11 rebounds in a win over Denver on Dec. 2. Parkinson ranks first in The Big West with a 58.2 (32-55) 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 73 consecutive appearances, 50 consecutive starts and 2,072 minutes (28.4 mpg) in an Anteater uniform. The Fresno native currently leads the team and ranks 17th in the nation with 24 steals (3.0/gm). She had a career-high tying five takeaways against Eastern Washington (Nov. 20) and at Texas Tech (Nov. 29). Tom is also averaging 7.9 points and 4.0 rebounds 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 31 assists (3.9 apg). She has dished out 22 dimes over the last five 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 33 of her 37 appearances as an Anteater. Most recently, 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 1,126 points, 372 rebounds, 415 assists and 232 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 39 of 40 games played at UC Irvine.

NEVAEH NIGHT
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.

UP NEXT
UC Irvine makes the short trip to Long Beach for a neutral-site game against Colorado State on Saturday, Dec. 16. It will be the Anteaters' non-conference finale.