IRVINE, Calif. -- UC Irvine wraps up the non-conference portion of the schedule on the road at California Baptist on Monday Dec. 30 to close out 2024.

UC Irvine at California Baptist
Monday, Dec. 30 | 7:00 p.m. PT
Dale E. and Sarah Ann Fowler Events Center | Riverside, Calif.
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ABOUT CALIFORNIA BAPTIST
> California  Baptist enters the contest with a 7-6 overall record
> The Lancers are coming off an six-point victory over Jackson State on Saturday
> Both CBU and UCI close out their non-conference slates with this contest on Monday
> The Lancers are 5-2 inside the Dale E. and Sarah Ann Fowler Events Center this season and have won two straight on their home court
> CBU defeated common non-conference opponent Kennesaw State in Riverside in the first week of the season, 88-84
> California Baptist finished the 2023-24 season with a 16-17 overall record, 8-12 in the WAC
> The Lancers return NABC All-District Second Team and All-WAC Second Team selection in Dominique Daniels Jr.
> Daniels Jr. is an offensive force for CBU as he averages 22.4 in 13 games played, 291 points total
> He has also taken and made the most three-pointers (25-90, 0.281) and free throws (68-81, 0.840) for the Lancers while also topping the team with 45 assists and second in steals (15)
> Kendal Coleman racks up 12.8 points a contest behind 61-114 (0.535) shooting from the floor and a team-best 113 rebounds (8.7 rpg)
> Martel Williams rounds out the double figure scoring with his 10.8 points per game and is a near perfect 25-26 (0.962) from the charity stripe
> AJ Braun joins Daniels Jr. and Coleman as the third Lancer to start and play in all 13 contests so far this season
> Braun also connects over 50 percent of his shots from the field (48-92, 0.522)
> Sam Silverstein has swatted a CBU-high nine shots at the rim in the non-conference season and has stolen the ball from opponents 16 times this season
> Familiar with UC Irvine, the Cal Poly transfer in Brantly Stevenson comes off the bench for 14.7 minutes per game

POLL POSITION
UC Irvine remains inside the top 10 of the CollegeInsider Mid-Major Poll where they rank fifth in the ballot. The Anteaters have held a spot as a top five team for six straight weeks.

ROAD WARRIORS
Started on Nov. 22, UC Irvine will play nine of their next ten games away from their home floor. The Anteaters will play at least four games on either side of the home contest on Dec. 5 where they will face Weber State, Kennesaw State, Kent State, and Towson (Nov. 22, Nov 28-30) on the front end and Oregon State, Belmont, Duquesne, California Baptist, and Cal Poly (Dec. 14, Dec. 19, Dec. 21, Dec. 30, Jan. 2) in the back half. It could be extended out to 11 of their next 13 games with two more road contests after a Jan. 4 meeting with UC Riverside.  

REACHING FOR 300
Head coach Russell Turner earned his 299th career win at Belmont and is just one victory away from hitting the 300 win mark. Out of 365 active head coaches in Division I, there are only 79 who have hit this career milestone. Additionally, Turner would become one of ten head coaches who have only coached at one institution to reach 300 career wins.

FREE FALLIN'
Monday's meeting pairs together two strong free throw shooting teams. UC Irvine ranks first in the Big West and third in the NCAA in free throw shooting percentage (0.818) while California Baptist is first in the WAC and 25th nationally from the stripe (0.784). The Anteaters have held their opponents to single digit makes and attempts from the charity stripe three times this season, the latest and the fewest from an opponent (2-4) at Duquesne on Dec. 21. 

STAYING YOUNG
In the Anteaters last time out at Duquesne on Dec. 21, the freshmen and sophomore's carried the load. Off the bench, Torian Lee played a season-high 25 minutes where he set career marks in assists (2), field goal attempts (5), and free throws made and attempted (2-2). Guard Berk Can Akin pulled down his personal best four rebounds and recorded his first career block. Redshirt sophomore Elijah Chol made his 11 minutes on the court count with the Anteaters first 5+ block effort since Carter Welling on Jan. 25, 2024 to set his new career-high. Ben Egbo tallied his first career points (2), made basket (1), and rebounds (4) in ten minutes. Lastly, Tishan Ahir entered in the final minutes, got fouled on his three-point attempt, and converted two of his three shots at the line for new bests in points and free throw shooting.

TIGHTEN UP AT THE ARC
For just the third time this season for the first time in back-to-back games, UC Irvine has allowed opponents to make double figure three-pointers this season as Duquesne (Dec. 21) saw 14 fall in from distance and gave up 15 the game prior to Belmont (Dec. 19). The Dukes 56.0 percent conversion from long-range was the best mark against UCI through 12 contests and were the third team to shoot over 50 percent from three-point distance versus the Anteaters.

THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE FREE
The Anteaters have been sharp at the free throw line this season with 202 makes in 247 attempts and leads the Big West in free throw percentage (0.818) which is also the nation's third best shooting clip at the line. UC Irvine went a perfect 14-14 at the charity stripe on Nov. 16, their first game where they did not miss a shot at the line since their 11-11 performance at Duquesne (Nov. 29, 2023). UCI shot a season high 33-40 from the charity stripe on Dec. 5 in the win over Cal State Bakersfield.

CHASING 500
Redshirt senior Devin Tillis enters Monday's meeting with California Baptist sitting at 499 career rebounds, just one away from the 500-career rebounds milestone. Tillis would become the 28th Anteater to accomplish this feat in a UC Irvine uniform, the first since Collin Welp (2018-22) graduated at the completion of the 2021-22 season. He would only need six to surpass former assistant coach Alex Young (2012-16) at 25th  with 504 career boards to begin his ascent up the leader board.

CAREER LEADER BOARD WATCH
With 153 made three-pointers in his career, graduate student Justin Hohn ranks 11th in the career made three-pointers leader board and is 15 three-pointers away from catching Ben Jones (1997-01) for tenth with 168. Hohn is also five steals away from becoming top 10 in the program for steals (has 113, to enter is 118).

UCI CAN'T OVERCOME DUQUESNE'S LONG RANGE SHOOTING IN LOSS
Duquesne started the game with the first 10 points and never looked back in a 70-46 victory over UC Irvine at the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse on Saturday. The Dukes drained 11 of their 14 three-pointers in the first half and UCI couldn't make a dent in a 43-24 first half deficit the rest of the way. The Anteaters, who lost just their second game of the season (10-2), shoot 34 percent (18-53) from the floor and 66.7 percent from the line (14-21). Duquesne went 27-55 (0.491) from the field through 40 minutes, shooting at a 56.0 rate from three-point range (14-25). Myles Che led UCI with nine points, a perfect 3-3 from the line, with two assists and a steal. Center Bent Leuchten added seven points, three rebounds and a block. Guard Torian Lee matched Leuchten with seven points, including a three-pointer and a career-best two assists.

KENPOM LEADERS
Out of 2297 eligible players, Devin Tillis is 11th in true shooting percentage (72.5) and 21st in effective field goal percentage (69.0). Bent Leuchten is 21st in fouls drawn per 40 minutes (7.1), 38th in defensive rebound percentage (27.0), and 42nd in free throw rate (68.1). Myles Che joins the duo as he is 27th in free throw percentage (0.923). Out of 364 teams, UC Irvine ranks second in free throw percentage offense (83.2), third in offensive rebound percentage defense (22.7),  fourth in free throw attempt/field goal attempt defense (20.6), 20th in two-point percentage defense (43.7), 22nd in adjusted efficiency defense (95.5), 45th in effective field goal percentage defense (46.1), and 49th in minutes continuity (52.9).

LEADING THE BIG WEST
Several Anteaters sit in the top ten of the Big West individual statistical rankings: rebounding (2nd, 8.4--Leuchten and 4th, 7.7--Tillis), field goal percentage (2nd, 0.644--Tillis and 7th, 0.529--Leuchten), free throw percentage (1st, 0.923--Che and 5th, 0.836--Leuchten), assists per game (5th, 3.8--Hohn), and blocks per game (3rd, 1.5--Evans and 7th, 1.1--Leuchten).

NATIONAL STATISTICS THROUGH 12.28.24
UC Irvine is ranked top 50 nationally in free throw percentage (3rd, 81.8), defensive rebounds per game (14th, 29.0), scoring defense (24th, 63.1), field goal percentage defense (44th, 39.4), and rebound margin (49th, 6.8).

NET WORTH
The first NET ranking of the season was released on Monday Dec. 2. The 'Eaters are the second highest ranked team in the Big West. UC San Diego tops the league at a 57 rank with the Anteaters three spots behind at 60.