UC Irvine (5-1) at
New Mexico (3-3)
Date: Wednesday, Nov. 27
Time: 7:00 p.m. (MT) / 6:00 p.m. (PT)
Location: The Pit (15,411) - Albuquerque, N.M.

IRVINE, Calif. - UC Irvine women's basketball is back on the road this week, starting with a trip to Albuquerque to face the University of New Mexico on Wednesday, Nov. 27. The Anteaters and Lobos are set to square off at 7 p.m. (MT)/6 p.m. (PT) at The Pit.

STARTING FIVE: STORYLINES
• UC Irvine is riding a five-game win streak into Wednesday's contest at New Mexico. Since falling to New Mexico State in their season opener, the Anteaters have taken down Pepperdine, William & Mary, Saint Mary's, Drexel and Penn for the best non-conference record in The Big West at 5-1.

• UCI is in the midst of a season-long seven-game road swing. After playing their first four games at home, the 'Eaters have a 46-day stretch where they will play seven road games with trips to Philadelphia, Albuquerque, Denver, Bakersfield and Oregon. Following a two-week layoff over winter break, UC Irvine returns to the Bren Events Center for its Big West home opener against Cal Poly on Jan. 2. The 46 days in between home games is the second-longest among NCAA Division I teams this year, behind only Columbia (47).

• Sophomore Summah Hanson was named The Big West Player of the Week on Monday, Nov. 25. Hanson earned UCI's first weekly award of the season after averaging 16.0 points and 9.5 rebounds in road wins at Drexel and Penn. She opened the trip to Philadelphia with 12 points and nine boards in a 57-47 victory over the Dragons, who are the defending CAA champions. The following day, Hanson posted the team's first double-double of the year with a season-high 20 points and 10 rebounds to lead UC Irvine to a 72-68 overtime win at Penn. The 6-foot-3 forward was an efficient 7-of-13 from the floor and 5-of-6 at the free throw line in 21 minutes played. She also scored six of the Anteaters' nine points in the extra period. Hanson, who came off the bench in both games, combined to shoot 54.5% from the field and 87.5% at the charity stripe.

• Junior Hunter Hernandez is tops on the squad in scoring at 15.7 points per game. Hernandez has 10+ points in five of her six outings with a career-high 29 in a win over William & Mary on Nov. 11. The 5-foot-9 guard also dropped 20 at Penn on Nov. 21. Hernandez has two of UCI's three 20-point performances this season.

• UC Irvine has claimed back-to-back Big West championships, winning the tournament in 2023-24 and the first regular-season title in program history in 2022-23. Last year, the 'Eaters earned a No. 13 seed in their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1995. They closed out the campaign with a 23-9 overall record, marking their third consecutive 20-win season.

SCOUTING THE LOBOS
New Mexico (3-3) fell to Gonzaga, 81-68, in its last outing on Sunday, Nov. 24. The Lobos, who are in the middle of a six-game homestand, have an average attendance of 4,675 at The Pit this season. Sophomore guard Destinee Hooks leads the squad in scoring at 17.8 points per game. Hooks is shooting 55% from the field. Senior guard Viané Cumber is also averaging 14.8 points per outing, while senior forward Hulda Joaquim has registered a team-best 7.8 rebounds per contest. Mike Bradbury is in his ninth season at the helm of the Lobo women's basketball program. During his time in Albuquerque, Bradbury has led UNM to a 165-92 record and five WNIT appearances.

SERIES RECORD
UC Irvine trails in its all-time series with New Mexico, 2-0. Both meetings were in Albuquerque with UNM winning 83-61 on Nov. 25, 2017, and 71-59 on Nov. 15, 2010. 

LAST TIME OUT
Summah Hanson and Hunter Hernandez combined for 40 points to lead UC Irvine to a thrilling 72-68 overtime win against Penn last Thursday at The Palestra. It was a close battle from start to finish as the game saw 21 lead changes and 10 ties through 45 minutes of action. The Anteaters held the largest advantage of the evening at six midway through the third quarter, but the Quakers came back with a 12-4 run to go on top by two. The 'Eaters then evened the score to head into the fourth period in a 52-52 deadlock. Neither team was able to pull away in the final 10 minutes as Penn held a late 63-62 edge before Hernandez made 1-of-2 free throws to knot it back up with 5.9 seconds on the clock. UCI got a stop on the Quakers' last possession to force overtime. Hanson stepped up for UC Irvine in the extra period, scoring the team's first six points for a 69-64 advantage with 1:36 remaining. Penn cut the deficit to two with a 3-pointer, but Hernandez knocked down a jumper in the paint to put the game out of reach with 17 seconds left. Hanson had the Anteaters' first double-double of the season, finishing with 20 points and 10 rebounds in 21 minutes played. Hernandez also poured in 20 points for the 'Eaters. Nevaeh Dean tied her career high with nine rebounds, while Nikki Tom pulled down a season-best eight boards. 

MID-MAJOR POLL
UCI was receiving votes in each of the first three College Insider Women's Mid-Major Polls. The latest rankings will be released on Tuesday afternoon. In 2023-24, the 'Eaters were 23rd in the final rankings for the second-straight season. 

PRESEASON PREDICTIONS
UC Irvine was picked second in The Big West Preseason Coaches' Poll. The defending Big West Champion Anteaters earned five of the 11 first-place votes and 95 total points in a narrow race with Hawai'i, which won the 2023-24 Big West regular season title. The Rainbow Wahine (96) received six first-place votes to come in one point ahead of the 'Eaters. Reigning Big West Player of the Year Déja Lee was named to the All-Big West Preseason Team. Lee was also included on the World Exposure Report's Top-50 Mid-Major Players to Watch.

HEATING UP
The Anteaters are tops in The Big West and 34th in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage (38.2%). In a 72-55 win over William & Mary on Nov. 11, UCI buried a season-high 11 3-pointers, while they also made 10 in a 64-61 victory vs. Saint Mary's on Nov. 16. Against the Tribe, the 'Eaters shot a blistering 52.4% (11-21) from deep.

TENACIOUS D
UCI ended each of the last two seasons ranked among the top-15 in the nation in scoring defense. In 2023-24, the Anteaters allowed 55.7 points per game, which was 14th in all of NCAA Division I. In 2022-23, the 'Eaters were seventh in the country with a program-record 53.2 points allowed per contest. This year, they have held four of their six opponents to under 60, including a season-low 47 at Drexel. UCI limited the Dragons to 26% shooting and a 2-of-21 performance from beyond the arc. UCI is currently first in The Big West in scoring defense at 57.3 ppg.

TRAVELING ANTEATERS
After playing their first four games of the season at home, the 'Eaters are on the road for the remainder of the calendar year. They have a 46-day stretch where they play seven games, all on the road, with trips to Philadelphia, Albuquerque, Denver, Bakersfield and Oregon. Following its final non-conference game at the University of Oregon on Dec. 19, UCI has a two-week layoff over winter break. The Anteaters then return home to resume Big West play against Cal Poly on Jan. 2. The 46 days in between home games is the second-longest stretch among NCAA DI teams this year, behind only Columbia (47).

100 AND COUNTING
Ninth-year head coach Tamara Inoue ranks second among the program's all-time winningest coaches with 145 career victories. She is only 13 wins behind 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 UCI to a pair of Big West Championships, four of the Anteaters' five national postseason appearances, their first victory in a national postseason tournament (WNIT), four of their six 20-win campaigns and school records in both overall (25) and conference wins (16).

CHASING 1,000
Senior Déja Lee has 839 career points, putting her 161 away from joining the 1,000-point club. If she accomplishes the feat, she would be the first Anteater to do so since Stephanie Duda in 2008.

SUMMAH TIME
Sophomore transfer Summah Hanson has made an immediate impact at UC Irvine as she is tops on the squad in rebounding (5.8 rpg) and second in scoring (11.8 ppg). She is shooting 42% from the floor and 91% at the free throw line where she made 12 in a row before her first miss of the season vs. Saint Mary's on Nov. 16. Last week, Hanson had the Anteaters' first double-double of the campaign with 20 points/10 rebounds in a 72-68 overtime win at Penn. She was an efficient 7-of-13 from the field and 5-of-6 at the charity stripe in just 21 minutes played. The 6-foot-3 forward scored six of UCI's nine points in the extra period. She was named The Big West Player of the Week for her effort. Hanson was the 2023-24 Big Sky Freshman of the Year at Sacramento State where she averaged 14.0 points and 8.8 boards. She led the conference and ranked 35th in all of NCAA Division I with 14 double-doubles. 

ON THE HUNT
Junior Hunter Hernandez has not missed a beat in her return to the court. Hernandez, who sat out the 2023-24 campaign recovering from a knee injury sustained on Feb. 15, 2023, currently leads the team in scoring (15.7 ppg) and is tied for second in rebounding (5.0 rpg). The 5-foot-9 guard has scored 10+ points in five of the first six games with a pair of 20-point performances. In a 72-55 win over William & Mary on Nov. 11, Hernandez poured in a career-high 29, while she also finished with 20 at Penn on Nov. 21. Hernandez added 15 points vs. Saint Mary's, 13 vs. New Mexico State and 11 vs. Pepperdine.

DEAN DELIVERS
Graduate student Nevaeh Dean posted back-to-back double-figure scoring games for the first time in her collegiate career with 10 points vs. Saint Mary's (Nov. 16) and 11 at Drexel (Nov. 20). In those two games, the 6-foot-2 forward combined to go 10-of-18 (56%) from the field. In a 72-68 overtime win at Penn on Nov. 21, she tied her career high with nine rebounds. Dean has started 69 of 70 games played in her two-plus years at UC Irvine. She transferred to UCI from Cincinnati prior to the 2022-23 season. 

STEADY HAND
Reigning Big West Player of the Year Déja Lee has continued to be a steady force in all facets of the game for the Anteaters as she is averaging 9.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.8 steals. Lee had a season-best 15 points at Drexel, while finishing with 10 vs. New Mexico State, Pepperdine and Saint Mary's. She has also dished out 3+ assists on five occasions.

IRON WOMAN
Senior Nikki Tom has played in every game since her arrival at UC Irvine in 2021-22. Her 103 consecutive appearances, 80 starts and 3,006 minutes played leads the team. The Fresno, California, native has 23 career double-figure scoring performances and was a 2022-23 All-Big West honorable mention selection. Last year, she was also tops on the squad with an 86.0 free throw percentage (49-57), which is the seventh-best in single-season school history. 

STEALING THE SHOW
Nikki Tom ranks ninth among UCI's all-time leaders with 168 career steals. She is 28 behind school-record holder Andee Ritter (196). Tom entered the program's top-10 after swiping four steals in the opener against New Mexico State. Déja Lee, who set a single-season school record with 82 steals last year, also cracked UCI's all-time top-10 with her 160th career takeaway at Drexel on Nov. 20 and has since increased her total to 163.

BACK ON TRACK
Junior Olivia Williams' start in the season opener on Nov. 4 was her first game since suffering a knee injury in the first quarter at Hawai'i on Jan. 19, 2023. The 6-foot-1 guard has started to find her offensive rhythm, reaching double figures in scoring in two of the last four games. She finished with a season-best 15 points in a win over William & Mary, and followed that with a 14-point effort (4-6 3FG) in a 64-61 victory against Saint Mary's. Since Nov. 11, Williams is averaging 11.0 points, while shooting 43% (16-37) from the field and 56% (10-18) from distance.

DEFEND THE BREN
Since 2017-18, UCI is 72-25 (.742) at the Bren Events Center. The Anteaters are 3-1 at home this year. They have not lost more than four home games in each of the last seven seasons.

UP NEXT
UC Irvine stays on the road this week, traveling to Denver for a 1 p.m. (MT)/12 p.m. (PT) showdown with the Pioneers on Saturday, Nov. 30.