UC Irvine (9-6, 3-2 Big West) at
UC San Diego (7-9, 3-2 Big West)
Date: Thursday, Jan. 18
Time: 7 p.m. (PST)
Location: LionTree Arena (4,000) - La Jolla, Calif.

UC Davis (8-8, 4-2 Big West) at
UC Irvine (9-6, 3-2 Big West)
Date: Saturday, Jan. 20
Time: 2 p.m. (PST)
Location: Bren Events Center (5,000) - Irvine, Calif.
Mobile Ticketing & Clear Bag Policy

IRVINE, Calif. - UC Irvine women's basketball is back on the road to start the week, traveling to UC San Diego for a 7 p.m. showdown on Thursday, Jan. 18. The Anteaters then return home to close out their regular-season series with UC Davis on Saturday, Jan. 20. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. at the Bren Events Center. 
 
STARTING FIVE: STORYLINES
• UCI is on a two-game losing streak for the first time since March 2022 when its season ended with losses to Hawai'i in the Big West final and UCLA in the WNIT. The 'Eaters have not dropped three-straight games since Jan. 23-30, 2020.

• UC Irvine has a streak of 49 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).

• This year, the 'Eaters have allowed 60 points or less in 11 of their 15 games. They rank first in The Big West and 31st in the nation in scoring defense (55.7 ppg), and are also among the top-60 NCAA Division I teams in steals (49th, 10.2) and turnovers forced (59th, 19.3) per game.

• Since 2020-21, UCI has not lost more than four conference games in a season, combining for a league-leading 44-12 (.786) record during that stretch. Last year, the Anteaters went 16-2 to win the program's first Big West regular-season title.

• Through five Big West games, junior Déja Lee ranks second in the conference in scoring (15.6 ppg). Lee is also among the top-five in assist-to-turnover ratio (2nd, 3.0), 3FG made (3rd, 2.4/gm), assists (T3rd, 3.0 apg), FG% (4th, 50%) and steals (5th, 2.6 spg).

SCOUTING THE TRITONS
UC San Diego (7-9, 3-2 Big West) saw its season-long three-game win streak come to an end with a 49-39 loss to Cal Poly last Saturday, Jan. 13. Sumayah Sugapong and Denali Pinto lead the Tritons with 13.8 and 11.4 points per outing, respectively. Katie Springs is also averaging a conference-best 9.5 rebounds per contest. 

SERIES RECORD
UC Irvine leads in its all-time series with UC San Diego, 11-1, and is 5-1 against the Tritons since UCSD made the transition to Division I and the Big West in 2020-21. Last year, the Anteaters extended their series win streak to five after defeating UC San Diego, 64-51, at home (Feb. 2) and 60-52 on the road (Feb. 23). In those two games, Nevaeh Parkinson averaged 13.6 points and 11.5 rebounds, while shooting 66.7% (12-18) from the field.

SCOUTING THE AGGIES
UC Davis (8-8, 4-2 Big West) has won four in a row after a 55-45 victory at CSUN and a 62-46 triumph at Cal State Bakersfield last week. The Aggies will host Cal State Fullerton on Thursday, Jan. 18. Evanne Turner (15.5 ppg) and Tova Sabel (14.3 ppg) are tops on the squad in scoring while Megan Norris is averaging 10.8 points and a team-best 6.9 rebounds per outing.

SERIES RECORD
UC Irvine trails in its all-time series with UC Davis, 34-12. The Anteaters will be looking to avenge a 60-57 loss to the Aggies two weeks ago in Davis (Jan. 6).

LAST TIME OUT
UC Irvine was unable to overcome an off-shooting night in a 56-49 setback to Hawai'i last Thursday at the Bren Events Center. The Anteaters shot just 33.3% (21-63) from the field and 12.5% (3-24) from beyond the arc. Déja Lee led UCI with 15 points, five rebounds, five steals and a career-high nine assists, while committing only one turnover. Diaba Konate also reached double figures in scoring with 12 points (6-10 FG). Nevaeh Parkinson added six points and a team-best eight rebounds.

LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN
Over the last three-plus 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 league-leading 44-12 (.786) record during that stretch. 

MID-MAJOR POLL
The Anteaters were receiving votes in the latest College Insider Women's Mid-Major Poll released on Jan. 16. They have been featured in the RV section in eight of the 11 weekly rankings (including preseason).

STRENGTH IN NUMBERS
The 'Eaters have used the same starting lineup in every game this season. Three starters are among the team's top-five scorers, while the reserves have also been a force to be reckoned with as the Anteaters have outscored their opponents in bench points by a 13.4 margin. Their 26.3 bench points per game rank 32nd in the nation.

DEFENSIVE MINDED
The Anteaters rank first in The Big West and 31st in all of NCAA Division I with 55.7 points allowed per game. They have held 11 of their 15 opponents to 60 points or less. UCI is also among the top-60 in the nation in steals (10.2 spg) and turnovers forced (19.3/gm).

OFFENSIVE WOES
UC Irvine's defense has been solid throughout the season, but the Anteaters have seen some inconsistency on the offensive end. In their nine wins, the 'Eaters are averaging 66.9 points on 43% shooting, including a 34% clip from beyond the arc. In the six losses, however, UCI has put up 53.0 ppg, a 35.1 field goal percentage and is just 20-for-113 (17.7%) from deep.

BIG WEST ACCLAIM
Junior Déja Lee was named the Big West Player of the Week on Jan. 1 after averaging 17.5 points on 54% shooting in UCI's 2-0 conference start. Lee scored all 13 of her points in the second half of a 67-52 win at UC Riverside, and put up 17 of her game-high 22 in the final 20 minutes of a 71-48 victory over Cal State Bakersfield. Through five Big West games, Lee ranks second in the conference in scoring (15.6 ppg), third in assists (3.0 apg), fourth in FG% (50%) and fifth in steals (2.6 spg).

TWENTY-TWENTY
Déja Lee has three of UCI's four 20-point performances this season. Lee drained a career-high 23 in the opener at Pepperdine before matching that total vs. St. Thomas on Nov. 24. The 5-foot-9 point guard also dropped 22 against Cal State Bakersfield (Dec. 30) to help secure her first career Big West Player of the Week award. Lee, who has reached double figures in scoring in six-straight games, ranks first on the team with 13.0 points per outing and second with 2.7 assists per contest. She has 25 career 10+ point games and five 20-point efforts.

STEALING THE SHOW
Déja Lee has recorded multiple steals on eight occasions this season, including 5+ in each of the last two games. At UC Davis (Jan. 6), Lee had a career-high six steals which is tied for fourth in single-game school history. She also had five takeaways, including four in the first quarter, against Hawai'i on Jan. 11.

POWER 5 IMPACT
Moulayna Johnson Sidi Baba, a graduate transfer from Miami, is averaging 10.5 points and 5.6 rebounds in 10 games played. Sidi Baba registered the Anteaters' first double-double of the year with 19 points and a season-best 11 boards against Colorado State on Dec. 16. She was just shy of her career-high 21 points, which she set at Big 12 member Texas Tech on Nov. 29. Sidi Baba was 8-for-16 from the field and a perfect 5-of-5 at the free throw line vs. the Lady Raiders. The 6-foot-1 guard/forward also reached double figures with 18 points at Cal State Fullerton (Jan. 4), 13 vs. Cal State Bakersfield (Dec. 30) and 10 in her UC Irvine debut against St. Thomas on Nov. 24. Sidi Baba missed the first four games recovering from an injury.

IRON WOMAN
Junior Nikki Tom has played in every game since her arrival at UC Irvine in 2021-22. She leads the team with 80 consecutive appearances, 57 consecutive starts and 2,293 minutes (28.7 mpg) in an Anteater uniform. This season, Tom ranks first in The Big West in free throw percentage (88.6%), third in minutes played (33.4 mpg) and seventh in steals (1.9 spg). The 5-foot-9 guard is also averaging 8.1 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists per outing. She has six double-figure scoring games with a season-high 15 points at Pacific. Tom was named to the All-Big West Preseason Coaches Team.

GIVE AND TAKE
Fifth-year senior Diaba Konate leads the Anteaters and ranks among the top-five in The Big West with 50 assists (3.3 apg) and 32 steals (2.1 spg). She dished out a season-best eight assists against Eastern Washington on Nov. 20 and had a UCI career-high tying five takeaways vs. Denver on Dec. 2. Konate has at least one steal in 39 of her 44 appearances as an Anteater. Last year, the All-Big West Defensive Team selection tied for eighth in single-season school history with 63 steals. In her collegiate career at Idaho State and UC Irvine, Konate has amassed 1,196 points, 395 rebounds, 434 assists and 247 steals.

SPARK 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 8.2 points and a team-best 6.1 rebounds per game, while shooting 56.8% 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. 

FRESH LOOK
Shirel Nahum ranks among The Big West's top-10 freshmen in scoring (5.6 ppg), rebounding (2.3 rpg), steals (0.9 spg) and minutes played (21.8 mpg). Nahum has three double-figure scoring games with a season-high 16 points at New Mexico State on Dec. 5.

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 surpassed that total as she is 5-of-10 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 46 of 47 games played at UC Irvine.

UP NEXT
UC Irvine is back in the Bren next Thursday, Jan. 25, when it hosts Black & Blue Rival Long Beach State. It will be an early tip-off at 11 a.m. as part of the Anteaters' second annual Kids Day.