Cal Poly vs. UC Irvine
Thursday, Feb. 9 | 7:00 p.m. PT
Bren Events Center | Irvine, Calif.
AM 830 | Live Stats | Watch (ESPN+) | Tickets | UC Irvine Notes | Cal Poly Notes

UC Riverside vs. UC Irvine
Saturday, Feb. 11 | 7:30 p.m. PT
Bren Events Center | Irvine, Calif.
AM 830 | Live Stats | Watch (ESPNU) | Tickets | UC Irvine Notes | UC Riverside Notes

UC Irvine plays two consecutive games on their home court, first facing Cal Poly on Thursday Feb. 9 before the Highlanders from UC Riverside step into the Bren Events Center on Saturday Feb. 11 for the Anteaters annual homecoming game.

ABOUT THE MUSTANGS
> Cal Poly holds a 7-17 record on the season, with notable non-conference wins against Idaho, Pacific, California Baptist, and Portland State
> The Mustangs have picked up a conference victories over CSUN
> In their last time out, Cal Poly fell to Hawai'i on Saturday Feb. 4, 69-56
> Alimamy Koroma is Cal Poly's leading scorer, averaging 10.6 points a game on 94-186 shooting (0.505)
> Trevon Taylor is the only Mustang player to start and play in all 24 games and is averaging 9.5 points a game
> Taylor leads Cal Poly off the glass, tallying 7.0 rebounds a game
> Brantly Stevenson has posted six consecutive double-digit scoring efforts
> Stevenson was named the Big West Player of the Week on Dec. 5 after scoring a career best 23 points against Pacific while averaging 14. 5 points and 8.0 rebounds over the Mustangs two victories that week
> Cal Poly was picked to finish ninth in the Big West preseason media poll
 
ABOUT THE HIGHLANDERS
> UC Riverside holds a 16-9 record on the season and 9-4 in conference
> The Highlanders have dropped two straight games, falling to both CSU Bakersfield and Cal State Fullerton last week
> UCR completed the series sweep against UC Davis on Thursday Feb. 9
> Zyon Pullin is UC Riverside's leading scorer, averaging 18.5 points a game on 137-286 shooting (0.479)
> Pullin was named College Insiders Player of the Week on Nov. 29, 2022 following the Highlanders Vegas 4 tournament win and Big West Player of the Week on Dec. 12, 2022
> Flynn Cameron is one of two UC Riverside players to have started and play in all 25 games and is posting 11.8 points a game
> Cameron was named the Big West Player of the Week on Nov. 28, 2022 where he averaged 20.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.7 steals in wins over Weber State, Wright State and Abilene Christian
> Jamal Hartwell II leads the Highlanders in three-point shooting at a 0.443 clip (43-97)
> Hartwell II, the George Mason transfer, picked up UCR's third Big West weekly award on Jan. 16 after the Highlanders historic week
> UC Riverside was picked to finish fifth in the Big West preseason media poll

MUSTANGS IN IRVINE
31 of the 63 all-time meetings have been held in Irvine with UCI holding the 22-9 advantage on their home court. Three of the last five contests between the two squads have been held in the Bren Events Center where the Anteaters have defeated Cal Poly by double-digits.
 
HOT SHOTS FROM THE LINE
Cal Poly, who is 42nd nationally in free throw percentage, ranks second in the league at a 0.751 clip (269-358), sitting just one spot behind CSU Bakersfield (0.751). In the last time out against the Anteaters, the Mustangs went a perfect 17-17 at the free throw line in their victory over UCI. Cal Poly recently went 16-17 against Hawai'i on Feb. 4 to help record the Mustangs 10th game shooting over 0.810 from the charity stripe. UCI looks to extend their 0.800 or better shooting from the line to a fourth consecutive game.
 
THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE FREE
The Anteaters shot at a 0.850 clip (17-20) from the line at Long Beach St., marking their third game shooting over 0.800 to help UCI improve to an overall 0.710 clip on the season. DJ Davis shot a perfect 7-7 from the charity stripe against The Beach, a career best made free throws.
 
EXTRA, EXTRA
The Anteaters had their first overtime contest of the season on Saturday night at Long Beach State. The last time UCI played an extra time was also the same as their last overtime loss, playing Hawai'i in Honolulu on Jan. 30, 2021 where the 'Eaters dropped, 62-61.
 
80+ POINTS
UC Irvine fell, 93-88, at Long Beach State on Saturday, February 4, in overtime. The Anteaters have posted 80+ point efforts over three conference opponents thus far this season (UC Davis on 1/5, Long Beach St. on 1/7, CSUN on 1/28, Long Beach St. on 2/4).
 
DEFENSE BEHIND THE ARC
UCI has now held three different opponents to zero three-pointers in a half four different times this season (Oregon on Nov. 11, Nicholls on Nov. 25, and Long Beach State on Jan. 7 and Feb. 4). 
 
IN THE BOOK! CAREER LEADER BOARD WATCH
With 114 made three-pointers in his career, junior DJ Davis sits 18th all-time for made triples in a career. Davis is now two makes from catching Jerry Green (1998-2002) and Mike Hood (2001-03) for 17th all-time.
 
IN STATE BEASTS
According to College Basketball Reference on Feb. 8, UCI sits in the top seven schools who have the most points per game scored by in-state players (49.7). The other teams are UNI (69.5), Youngstown State (59.8), Eastern Michigan (56.0), Northern Colorado (54.4), Georgia State (50.9), and Kennesaw State (45.0).
 
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 23rd nationally in bench points per game (27.30).
 
PUT IT IN THE PAINT
UCI has outscored their opponents by 258 points when scoring in the paint (UCI 856, Opp. 598). The Anteaters average 37.22 points in the paint per game and have scored 40 or more points in the paint in five conference contests (CSUN– 40, UC Santa Barbara– 40, Hawai'i– 44, UC San Diego—44, and Long Beach St.—42).
 
MR. CONSISTENT
After his performance against UC San Diego, Dawson Baker set a new streak of 18 consecutive games scoring in double figures. Baker has recorded 22 double digit scoring games this season and has posted 44 in his career thus far. After reaching the 600-career point mark against Fresno State on Dec. 3 and the 700-point mark against Cal State Fullerton on Jan. 11, the guard made his 800th career point on his driving lay-up with 1:56 remaining in the contest at UC San Diego on Feb. 2. The junior surpassed 300 tallies on the season against CSUN on Jan. 28. Baker is averaging 14.9 points a game, 16.5 in league play.
 
3J DAVIS
A consistent force behind the arc, DJ Davis leads the team and league in three-point shooting making 53 of his 136 attempts from deep. Davis is a prolific shooter at the free throw line as well, ranking second in the Big West and 28th nationally for his 64-73 shooting at the stripe (0.877). The guard is having his highest scoring season, only posting 227 points his freshman campaign. With 319 tallies on the season, Davis surpassed the 700 career point mark with his 18-point performance against Hawai'i and is 43 marks away from reaching 800 career points.
 
DISHIN' DIMES
Pierre Crockrell II tied his career high 10 assists in the overtime loss to Long Beach State for the 'Eaters second double-digit assist game of the season to put up his first double-double of the season (10 points, 10 assists). Crockrell II notched UCI's first double-figure assist game over The Beach on Jan. 7. The senior is averaging 4.8 assists per game after hitting his 100th assist on the season at UC San Diego on Feb. 2 and earned his 400th career dime in the win over the Rainbow Warriors. Crockrell II surpassed the 600-career point mark on his made free throw at CSUN. The guard ranks 38th nationally in assist-turnover ration at a 2.5 mark. The Anteaters are 10-1 when Crockrell II dishes out five or more dimes in a game.
 
SEEING DOUBLE
Almost a full calendar year after the Anteaters last double-double, Devin Tillis notched two consecutive and the first and second of his career. Tillis posted the first in the 70-65 win over Cal St. Fullerton (10 pts, 12 reb.) on Jan. 11 and the second at CSUN (10 pts., 11 reb.) on Jan. 14. The redshirt sophomore has 142 boards on the season to average 6.2 a game. Tillis has tallied nine double-digit scoring efforts in 23 games.
 
BIG NIGHTS FOR A BIG MAN
Akiva McBirney-Griffin had four consecutive career nights. In the game at UC San Diego he put up career bests in rebounds (6), assists (3), field goals made (5), and field goal attempts (7). Against CSUN, McBirney-Griffin set highs in blocks, free throws made, and attempted shot from the line. The forward set highs in points, steals, and three-point field goal attempts against Hawai'i. During the game against the Tritons, McBirney-Griffin notched his second double-figure scoring effort.
 
KENPOM LEADERS
Out of 2234 eligible players, Pierre Crockrell II is 23rd in assist rate and DJ Davis is 42nd in free throw percentage. Out of 363 teams, UC Irvine ranks 16th in bench minutes, 22nd in three-point percentage offense, 33rd in effective field goal defense, and 36th in two-point percentage defense.
 
NET WORTH
The first NET ranking of the season was released on Monday Dec. 5. The 'Eaters are the highest ranked Big West team within the top-100 sitting at 89 while UC Santa Barbara sits at 97.
 
LEADING THE BIG WEST
Several Anteaters sit in the top ten of the Big West individual statistical rankings. DJ Davis is second in the league in three-point field goals per game (2.3) and free throw percentage (0.877). Pierre Crockrell II tops the Big West in assist/turnover ratio (2.5) and assists (4.8).  Dawson Baker is sixth in field goal percentage (0.477) and 10th in scoring (14.9). Devin Tillis is ninth in the league in boards (6.2).
 
NATIONAL STATISTICS 02.08.23
UC Irvine is ranked top-50 nationally in the following categories: scoring margin (33rd, 10.0), field goal percentage (38th, 0.476), field goal percentage defense (34th, 0.403) and three-point field goal percentage (19th, 0.383).