IRVINE, Calif. -- The Anteaters close out their third consecutive road trip of the season in San Diego, facing No. 25/RV San Diego State on Saturday evening.

UC Irvine at No. 25/RV San Diego State
Saturday, Dec. 9 | 7:30 p.m. PT
Viejas Arena | San Diego, Calif.
AM 830 | Live Stats | Watch (FS1) | Tickets | Notes

ABOUT SAN DIEGO STATE
> No. 25/RV San Diego State holds a 7-2  record entering the contest, picking up wins against Cal State Fullerton, Long Beach State, Sain Mary's, Washington, California, Point Loma Nazarene, and UC San Diego
> The Aztecs last played on Tuesday where they fell to Grand Canyon in Phoenix, 79-73
> SDSU defeated both their opponents in the Continental Tires Main Event to win the championship title
> The Aztecs are 2-0 against the Pac-12 this season and have won both of those contests in overtime
> San Diego State went 32-7 overall in 2022-23 and 15-3 in Mountain West play
> The Aztecs won both the Mountain West regular season and championship titles
> SDSU finished last year's campaign as the NCAA Runner-Up, falling to UConn in the finale
> San Diego State won the program's first Sweet 16 game while appearing and winning a game in the Elite Eight and Final Four, the first Mountain West team to do so
> In the final 2022-23 AP Poll, SDSU ranked second in the nation, the highest in program history
> Jaedon LeDee leads all Aztecs in scoring and rebounds averaging a double double with 205 total points (22.8 ppg) and 93 rebounds (10.3 rpg)
> LeDee is one of five players in Division I who are averaging over 20 points per game and 10 rebounds per game
> Reese Waters ranks second on SDSU in scoring with his 14.4 points per game, shooting 39-90 from the floor, 16-38 from three-point range, and has not missed a shot from the free throw line so far this season (36-36)
> Waters was named the Mountain West Preseason Newcomer of the Year after transferring to the Aztecs from USC
> Micah Parrish rounds out the double figure scoring with 11.0 points per game and is second on the team off the glass (4.9 rebounds per game)
> Lamont Butler has dished out a team best 36 assists in nine games played
> Butler was named as a Mountain West Preseason First Team honoree
>Elijah Saunders rounds out the four Aztecs who have started and played in all nine games for San Diego State
> San Diego State was picked first in the Mountain West Preseason Poll

ON THE ROAD AGAIN...
UC Irvine is on their third of three straight road trips where they will collide with national runner-up, No. 25/RV San Diego State. In the last two weeks, the Anteaters have made stops in Las Vegas (Nevada), Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania), and Logan (Utah).

FIVE
After eight games played, there are five players averaging double figure scoring. Redshirt senior Justin Hohn leads the effort with 13.7 points per game and is followed by freshman Derin Saran (11.1), redshirt junior Devin Tillis (10.7), senior Andre Henry (10.1), and junior Bent Leuchten (10.0).

UCI VS. RANKED OPPONENTS IN THE 2020'S
Just three years into the 2020's decade, UC Irvine has already recorded their best record against ranked opponents (2-2, 0.500). Their next best was in the 1980's where they were 7-15 (0.318). The Anteaters have earned their two ranked wins by double figures and their two losses were only by single digits (at USC in 2021, 66-61 and at SDSU in 2022, 72-69). UCI looks to pick up their third ranked in of the 2020's at No. 25/RV San Diego State on Saturday.

OLD CONFERENCE FOE'S
UCI and No. 25 San Diego State used to compete against each other in the PCAA (before it was renamed the Big West) from 1975-1978 before the Aztecs left the conference. SDSU holds the 2-0 record over the Anteaters in league play.

KEEPING IT FRESH
The Anteaters and the Aztecs have met just twice in the last three seasons. The previous meeting between the last two squads was in 1997.

LAST TIME VS. SDSU
Former Anteater DJ Davis had a career high 28-point showing that led the Anteaters in the 72-69 loss to No. 24/24 San Diego State where he shot 9-17 from the field and 4-6 from behind the arc. Justin Hohn led the team in assists, recording a season best four. Forward Dean Keeler added eight points along with a block. The 'Eaters had their best game at the charity stripe, making 12 on 14 attempts (0.857).

RECAP VS. UTAH STATE
UC Irvine and Utah State were locked in an impressive shooting affair until the Aggies pulled way in the second half for a 79-69 victory at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum on Saturday evening.  UC Irvine shot 58.6 percent (17-29) from the floor in the first half but went 10-28 (35.7%) in second half. The Aggies shot 50.8 percent for the game (30-59), improving from 50 percent in the first 20 minutes (16-32) to 51.9 percent in the second (14-27). UCI was led by guard Justin Hohn with a game high 21 points while forward Dean Keeler posted a career best 15 points on the night.

ALL ABOUT THE ROTATION
The 'Eaters, who are a strong scoring team receive a lot of momentum from the second and third rotations. UCI is ranked 21st nationally in bench points per game (32.44).

HIGHLY EFFICIENT SHOOTING
UCI has shot over a 0.500 clip in five contests this season (New Mexico State—0.526, Occidental—0.615, Pepperdine---0.517, Toledo---0.500, and Rice---0.517). The Anteaters rank 68th nationally in effective field goal percentage (0.543).

PUT IT IN THE PAINT
UCI has outscored their opponents by 116 points when scoring in the paint (UCI 362, Opp. 246). The Anteaters average 40.2 points in the paint per game and have scored 40 or more points in three games so far (Occidental-- 68, Pepperdine--48, and Rice---44).

LIFE IN THE FAST LANE
UC Irvine finds themselves among the best in another specialty statistical category, landing 84th in the nation in fast break points with 13.1 points per game. 

DISHIN' DIMES
Pierre Crockrell II has led the Anteaters in eight contests this season in assists with 50. The fifth year guard is averaging 5.6 assists per game and earned his 500th career dime in the win over New Mexico State on Nov. 11. Crockrell II nationally ranks 25th in total assists and 30th in assists per game while he sits atop the Big West in both categories. The Anteaters are 4-3 when Crockrell II dishes out five or more dimes in a game and were 15-3 in 2022-23 when he hit the same mark.

THIS JUST-IN!
Justin Hohn is a UC Irvine squad leader with 123 total points and 13.7 points per game after his first career 20-point game at No. 16/20 USC with his 25 point outing and was followed by his second at Utah State with 21 points. The redshirt senior has 24 double figure scoring games in his career, the most of any player on the 2023-24 Anteater squad. 

SEEING DOUBLE
Devin Tillis notched the Anteaters first double-double of the season on Saturday night (Nov. 11) with an 18 point and 10 rebound showing. In the effort, the redshirt junior set a career best in points scored. Tillis recorded three double-double efforts last season and earned the program's first since Mar. 15, 2023 which was the one he set in the NIT First Round match-up with Oregon. The forward has recorded double-figure scoring in three games and double figure rebounding in two games played this season to lead UCI with 54 rebounds, 6.0 per game. 

CENTER OF ATTENTION
Freshman Carter Welling took over the starting position of center, making his Anteater debut versus Pepperdine on Nov. 21. Averaging 16.1 minutes a game, the center has grabbed 3.4 rebounds per game, blocked five shots, and is putting up 5.0 points a game.

FRESHMAN TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS
Derin Saran is second on the team in scoring with 11.1 points per game over nine games played and has one of the best shooting percentages on the Anteater squad (0.547, 41-75). Saran notched his 100th career point at Utah State and is on a six game double figure scoring streak. The young guard also has 31 rebounds, 18 assists, and five steals on the year.

MR. POSTMAN
Bent Leuchten dominates at the post whether it is scoring baskets or grabbing the all off the glass. The center is one of the teams leaders off the glass, averaging 4.0 rebounds a game in four contests played. Leucthen has posted two double-figure scoring games since this year, the latest against No. 16/20 USC where he put up 19 points in 28 minutes of action.

KENPOM LEADERS
Out of 2289 eligible players, Pierre Crockrell II is 10th in assist rate (41.4) and Devin Tillis is 46th in two-point percentage (0.719).  Out of 363 teams, UC Irvine ranks 11th in bench minutes (43.2), 34th in adjusted defensive efficiency (96.6), and 46th in three-point percentage offense (37.7).

LEADING THE BIG WEST
Several Anteaters sit in the top ten of the Big West individual statistical rankings: rebounds per game (10th, 6.0--Tillis), field goal percentage (7th, 0.479--Hohn), assists per game (1st, 5.6--Crockrell II), assist-turnover ratio (3rd, 2.4-- Crockrell II), blocks per game (6th, 1.2--Keeler), and steals per game (10th, 1.6-- Henry).

NATIONAL STATISTICS THROUGH 12.07.23
UC Irvine is ranked top-50 nationally in the following categories: assists per game (35th, 17.1) and field goal percentage (38th, 0.490).

NET WORTH
The first NET ranking of the season was released on Monday Dec. 4. The 'Eaters are the highest ranked and only Big West team within the top-100 sitting at 67 with Hawai'i locking in the second position at 134.