[1] UC Irvine (24-5, 16-2 Big West) vs.
[9] CSU Bakersfield (7-22, 3-17 Big West)
Date: Wednesday, March 8
Time: 12 p.m. (PST)
Location: The Dollar Loan Center (5,567) - Henderson, Nev.

IRVINE, Calif. - For the first time in program history, UC Irvine women's basketball will enter the Hercules Tires Big West Championships presented by The Hawaiian Islands as the No. 1 seed. The Anteaters will face ninth-seeded CSU Bakersfield in the quarterfinal round on Wednesday, March 8, at The Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, Nevada.
 
STARTING FIVE: STORYLINES
• With its 59-48 win at CSU Bakersfield, coupled with Long Beach State's loss to UC Davis last Saturday, UC Irvine clinched the first Big West regular-season title and No. 1 seed in program history. The Anteaters have been a top-three seed in each of the last four seasons, and in five of head coach Tamara Inoue's seven years at the helm.
 
• Five 'Eaters were named to the 2022-23 All-Big West Women's Basketball Team the conference office announced Monday. Hunter Hernandez was a first-team selection, while Nikki Tom, Déja Lee and Nevaeh Parkinson earned honorable mention recognition. Parkinson was also tabbed the league's Best Sixth Player, and Diaba Konate made the Big West All-Defensive Team.
 
• The 'Eaters advanced to The Big West championship game as the No. 2 seed in each of the last two seasons. In 2021, they fell to top-seeded UC Davis, while they also came up short against No. 1 Hawai'i last year. UCI, which won its lone conference tournament title back in 1995, is 5-4 all-time in the Big West quarterfinal round and will be facing CSU Bakersfield for the first time in postseason play.
 
• Despite being picked to finish sixth in the preseason coaches' poll, losing three All-Big West starters - Naomi Hunt (Dec. 31), Olivia Williams (Jan. 19) and Hunter Hernandez (Feb. 15) - to season-ending injuries in conference, and playing with a seven-person rotation over their final four games, the Anteaters have put together the best season in program history. Not only did they win the Big West regular-season title, but they set school records in overall (24) and conference (16) victories. UC Irvine secured back-to-back 20-win campaigns for the first time since 1983-84 and 1984-85. Of the program's five 20-win seasons, three have come under head coach Tamara Inoue.
 
• UC Irvine was 20th in last week's College Insider Women's Mid-Major Top 25. The Anteaters have been featured in the poll for 10 consecutive weeks with a high ranking of 13th. The 'Eaters are also eighth in the nation in scoring defense with a school-record 53.1 points allowed per contest. They held 23 of their 29 opponents to 60 points or less (20-3), including eight games where they allowed fewer than 50. UCI has been on a dominant run in conference action, losing only 10 Big West regular-season games in the last three years. Since 2020-21, they have put up a league-leading 41 regular-season conference victories and an .804 win percentage.

BIG WEST NOTABLES
UC Irvine is in its 40th year as a member of The Big West and will be making its 34th appearance in the conference tournament. The 'Eaters have earned the No. 1 seed for the first time in program history. They are 5-4 in the quarterfinal round and are looking to advance to the semifinals for the fourth time in the last five years. The Anteaters' lone Big West Championship title came in 1995 as the No. 3 seed.
 
REWRITING HISTORY
After finishing second in the conference, despite having the most wins in league play in each of the last two years, UC Irvine finally broke through in 2022-23, winning the first Big West regular-season title in program history. The Anteaters also set school records in overall wins (24), conference wins (16) and true road victories (12). In addition, UCI had a school-record tying nine-game win streak from Dec. 17-Jan. 19, while their current seven-game win streak is tied for the third longest.
 
SPECIAL TEAM, SPECIAL SEASON
UC Irvine was not considered to be a Big West championship contender at the start of the 2022-23 season. In fact, they weren't even picked to finish in the top half of the conference as they were slotted sixth in the league's preseason coaches' poll after losing six letterwinners, including three starters to graduation and the portal. The 'Eaters still welcomed back eight members (five sophomores) from their 2022 WNIT squad and added four NCAA Division I transfers. The group quickly developed a strong chemistry that led to a league-best 8-3 non-conference record. That success carried over into Big West play where they were 7-0 for the first time in their 40 years as a member of the league. Despite seeing three key starters go down with season-ending injuries in a two-month span, the bond the Anteaters formed both on and off the court helped them persevere as they came together to win their last seven games and clinch the first Big West regular-season title in school history.
 
LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN
Over the last three years, no team has been better in Big West regular-season play than UCI. Since 2020-21, the Anteaters have not lost more than four conference games in a season, combining for a 41-10 (.804) league record during that stretch. They had a streak of 11 consecutive regular-season conference wins come to an end with their overtime loss to Cal State Fullerton on Jan. 26.
 
IN THE RANKINGS
UCI was 20th in the latest College Insider Women's Mid-Major Top 25 released on Feb. 28. The Anteaters have been featured in every poll since Dec. 27 and were receiving votes for five weeks prior to that. Their highest ranking was 13th on Jan. 24.
 
TENACIOUS D
UC Irvine is eighth in all of NCAA Division I in scoring defense with its program-best 53.1 points allowed per game coming in behind Norfolk State, No. 13 Duke, Little Rock, No. 1 South Carolina, Fairleigh Dickinson, Campbell, and Princeton. The 'Eaters have held 23 of their 29 opponents to 60 points or less. Their season-high in points allowed was 67 in an overtime win at Hawai'i on Jan. 19. UCI also ranks 22nd in the nation in steals (10.1 spg) and 27th in turnovers forced (19.6/gm).
 
SCOUTING THE ROADRUNNERS
No. 9 seed CSU Bakersfield (7-22, 3-17 Big West) defeated eighth-seeded CSUN, 55-52, in first-round action on Tuesday, snapping a nine-game losing streak in the process. The Roadrunners are led by All-Big West honorable mention selection Hennie van Schaik, who is averaging 11.9 points and 6.7 rebounds per contest.
 
SERIES RECORD
UCI trails in its all-time series with CSU Bakersfield, 12-9, but has won the last five. The Anteaters completed the series sweep in the regular-season finale with a 59-48 win at the Icardo Center on March 4. UCI also topped CSUB, 55-49, in the Big West opener in Irvine back on Dec. 31, 2022.
 
LAST TIME OUT
UC Irvine clinched the first Big West regular-season title in program history with a 59-48 win over CSU Bakersfield last Saturday at the Icardo Center. The Anteaters led for most of the game, but faced a three-point deficit following an 8-0 Roadrunner rally in the third quarter. Amelia Scharpf responded with a clutch three and the 'Eaters locked down defensively as they outscored CSUB, 9-0, the rest of the way for a 44-38 cushion heading into the fourth. UCI got it done with defense and free throws in the final 10 minutes. The visitors were 11-of-13 at the stripe, while holding the 'Runners to just three field goals and three free throws to seal the victory. Diaba Konate led all players with 15 points (8-8 FG) and tied her season high with six rebounds. Nevaeh Dean and Nevaeh Parkinson both finished with 11 points and seven boards, while Nyagoa Gony pulled down a game-high eight rebounds. Nikki Tom added eight points, five boards and two assists.
 
HUNT, WILLIAMS, HERNANDEZ OUT FOR SEASON
UC Irvine lost three key starters, Naomi Hunt, Olivia Williams and Hunter Hernandez, to season-ending injuries in Big West play. Hunt, who was averaging 11.7 points and 4.9 boards, has been out since the conference opener against CSU Bakersfield on Dec. 31. Williams suffered a season-ending injury at Hawai'i on Jan. 19. She had started every game this year, averaging 8.9 points per outing. The latest blow came against UC Santa Barbara on Feb. 15, when Hernandez went down with a knee injury. She was the Anteaters' leading scorer (12.0 ppg) and rebounder (5.5 rpg). Despite all of that, UCI has won its last seven games.
 
FROM THE STRIPE
UC Irvine ranks second in The Big West and 28th in the NCAA in free throw percentage (77.4%). The Anteaters have been slightly better in conference games where they are shooting 78.3%. They had three flawless performances, going 7-for-7 at UC Riverside, and 8-for-8 against CSU Bakersfield and at Long Beach State. Individually, Diaba Konate is tops in The Big West and seventh in the nation with a 90.9% clip. She made 28 consecutive free throws before missing her first attempt at Cal Poly on Feb. 9.
 
AIN'T THAT GRAND
Entering her 100th career game played on Feb. 15, junior transfer Diaba Konate, who was averaging 7.7 ppg, needed 16 to reach 1,000 points in her collegiate career. She got that and more, netting a season-high 20 in a 74-60 OT win against UCSB. She now sits at 1,045 points, 340 rebounds, 372 assists and 211 steals.
 
100 AND COUNTING
Seventh-year head coach Tamara Inoue earned her 100th career win in the non-conference finale against Grand Canyon on Dec. 21. Inoue is the second coach in program history to reach the century mark as her 115 victories rank second all-time behind only Dean Andrea (158), who spent 13 years at the helm from 1978-1991. Inoue, the 2021 co-Big West Coach of the Year has led the 'Eaters to two of the program's three national postseason tournaments and three of their five 20-win campaigns.
 
IRON WOMAN
Sophomore Nikki Tom is tops on the squad and third in The Big West at 35.0 minutes per outing. Tom has logged 35+ minutes in 16 consecutive contests. She has played all but 46 seconds of the Anteaters' last four games.
 
COURT PRESENCE
Tom has been a steady presence on the court, starting every game and averaging 8.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.8 steals. She has 12 double-figure scoring performances, including in two of the last four contests. Back on Nov. 25, the Fresno native had a career-high 18 points on a near perfect outing where she was 6-of-7 from the field (4-4 3FG) vs. LIU. Tom also had 15 points (4-6 FG, 6-6 FT) in a 54-52 win at CSUN on Jan. 28. In addition, the 5-foot-9 guard registered a career-high five steals and six assists vs. Westcliff on Dec. 14. She later matched that steal total with five takeaways vs. LBSU (Feb. 4). Tom earned All-Big West honorable mention recognition.
 
GIVE AND TAKE
Diaba Konate leads the team and ranks third in The Big West in both assists (3.5 apg) and steals (2.3 spg) per game. Konate has dished out  3+ dimes 19 times with a season-high seven coming vs. LIU on Nov. 25. She has also recorded at least one steal in 25 of her 26 appearances, including a season-best five takeaways at Fresno State (Dec. 11). Konate, who is tied for 10th in single-season school history with 59 steals, was named to the Big West's All-Defensive Team.
 
STARTING LINE
UC Irvine is 18-3 overall, and 16-2 this season, when sophomore Déja Lee is in the starting lineup. On Jan. 5, she stepped seamlessly back into the first five as she registered career highs of 22 points, eight rebounds and five steals to lift UCI to a 67-38 win over UC Davis. The 5-foot-9 point guard had her second 20-point effort against UC San Diego on Feb. 2 where she was 5-for-8 from deep while also dishing out a career-high seven assists. For the season, Lee is tops on the squad with a 35% (33-95) clip from beyond the arc. She received All-Big West honorable mention distinction.
 
BEST SIXTH PLAYER
Junior transfer Nevaeh Parkinson was named the Big West's Best Sixth Player after averaging 8.4 points and 7.3 rebounds, while shooting 52% from the field in 18 conference games played. The 6-foot-3 center had five double-figure rebounding games and three double-doubles in league action. In her only start of the year, she put up a career-high 16 points (8-8 FG) and 13 boards at UC San Diego on Feb. 23. Parkinson was also an All-Big West honorable mention selection.
 
DEAN FROM DOWNTOWN
Junior transfer Nevaeh Dean did not attempt a 3-pointer in her first 25 games as an Anteater, but since Feb. 23, she has taken 10 shots from beyond the arc. The 6-foot-2 forward made two of them, connecting from downtown at UC San Diego and vs. UC Riverside. Against conference opponents, Dean is averaging 5.5 points and 3.3 rebounds, and ranks second on the team in FG percentage (49.4%).
 
ACCESS DENIED
Graduate transfer Nyagoa Gony enters the postseason tied for 10th in single-season school history with 42 blocks (1.6/gm). She had at least one rejection in 18 of her 27 appearances and had multiple swats on 10 occasions. The 6-foot-3 forward finished with a career-best six blocks at UC Riverside on Feb. 11 to tie for third in UCI's single-game record book. Gony also had a season-best eight points, seven rebounds and four blocks in the second meeting with the Highlanders on Senior Night (March 2).
 
AWARD SEASON
Sophomore Hunter Hernandez earned first-team All-Big West honors, extending UCI's streak of having at least one representative on the six-member first team to six years in a row. The 5-foot-9 guard averaged 14.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.4 steals in 14 conference games played. During the season, Hernandez was a two-time Big West Player of the Week. She earned her second award in four weeks after dropping a career-high 25 points at Cal Poly and 16 at UC Riverside. She shot 56% from the field and 92% at the free throw line in those two games. Hernandez's first honor came on Jan. 23, following a road trip where she put up 16.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists in wins at UCSB and at Hawai'i.
 
TWO SPORTS, TWO TITLES
It has been quite the year for sophomore Laila El Behery as she has won two conference titles in two different sports. The sophomore was part of UC Irvine women's soccer's historic run in the fall where they won the Big West Championship as the No. 6 seed before advancing all the way to the NCAA Sweet 16. El Behery was then added to the Anteater women's basketball roster in late February due to a limited number of healthy players available. She has seen action in two games and pulled down the final rebound in UCI's 59-48 win at CSU Bakersfield that clinched the first Big West regular-season title in program history. In 2021, El Behery was a freshman on the UCI soccer team that won both the Big West regular-season and tournament titles.
 
ATTENDANCE HIGHS
UC Irvine set two of the program's top-eight attendance records this season. On Dec. 14, the Anteaters hosted Kids Day where they brought in eight local elementary schools for their sixth-best attendance mark of 1,101. Against UC Davis (Jan. 5), the 'Eaters also welcomed 1,093 fans to the Bren Events Center. It is the first time since 2011 that UCI women's basketball has seen a home crowd of over 1,000. UC Irvine ranked third in The Big West in average home attendance this year.
 
QUARTER RECORDS
The 'Eaters outscored Whittier, 26-0, in the 3Q of their 98-33 season-opening win. It was the first time in program history UCI held its opponent scoreless in a quarter (since 2015-16). The previous school record was one point allowed in the third frame against Life Pacific (2018).

DOWN TO THE WIRE
UC Irvine had a handful of close contests this season with 11 games decided by five points or less (7-4). The 'Eaters had their third game-winner in the final seconds on Feb. 25 as Nevaeh Parkinson's layup before the buzzer gave them the 68-66 overtime victory vs. Hawai'i. In non-conference play, Diaba Konate sank the go-ahead jumper with 0.2 ticks on the clock in a 60-58 triumph at Sac State, and Parkinson converted a layup with 4.2 seconds remaining for a 54-53 victory at Seattle U.
 
KEEPING IT CLOSE
The Anteaters' largest margin of defeat this year is nine, and three of their five setbacks, including their only two conference losses, came by two points. They did not lose back-to-back games in the regular season for the first time in 38 years.
 
EXTRA TIME
UC Irvine has played five overtime games this year, the most in program history. The 'Eaters, who are 3-2 in those contests, have outscored their opponents 65-49 in extra time. They have gone to OT 11 times (7-4) in seventh-year head coach Tamara Inoue's tenure.

HOME COOKING
Since 2017-18, UC Irvine is 59-22 (.728) at the Bren Events Center. The Anteaters went 11-2 at the Bren this year.
 
ROAD WARRIORS
The 'Eaters are 13-3 in away/neutral-site games. They went 9-0 in Big West road games and set a program record with 12 true road victories.
 
UP NEXT
The Big West semifinals will take place Friday, March 10, while the championship game is set for a 3 p.m. start on Saturday, March 11.