UC Irvine (5-3, 0-0 Big West) at
Cal State Bakersfield (0-6, 0-0 Big West)
Date: Thursday, Dec. 5
Time: 6:30 p.m. (PST)
Location: Icardo Center (3,497) - Bakersfield, Calif.

IRVINE, Calif. - UC Irvine women's basketball travels to Cal State Bakersfield for its Big West opener on Thursday, Dec. 5. The Anteaters and Roadrunners are scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. tip-off at the Icardo Center.

STARTING FIVE: STORYLINES
• Conference play gets underway early this season with the addition of The Big West's Bold Week from Dec. 5-7. League games will take place on Thursday and Saturday before teams close out their non-conference slates. Big West action then resumes on Jan. 2, 2025. UC Irvine is looking for its fifth-straight conference-opening win and sixth in the last seven years. 

• UCI is in the midst of a season-long seven-game road swing. After playing their first four games at home, the Anteaters 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, the 'Eaters return to the Bren Events Center for their 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 has a streak of four consecutive double-figure scoring games. In UC Irvine's most recent road trip, Hanson finished with 18 points at New Mexico and a game-high 19 at Denver. Prior to that, the 6-foot-3 forward posted the team's first double-double of the year with a season-high 20 points and 10 rebounds in a 72-68 victory at Penn. That came a day after putting up 12 points and nine boards against defending CAA champion Drexel. She was named The Big West Player of the Week for her effort in the Anteaters' two wins in Philadelphia. Since Nov. 20, Hanson is averaging a team-best 17.0 points and 8.8 rebounds per game, while shooting 48% from the field and 94% at the free throw line. 

• Four 'Eaters enter Thursday's conference opener averaging double figures in scoring. Junior Hunter Hernandez, who missed the last two games with an injury, leads the way at 15.7 points per outing, which ranks second in The Big West. Hernandez has a pair of 20-point performances including a career-high 29 in a win over William & Mary. Summah Hanson is also seventh in the league at 13.4 ppg. Senior Déja Lee (10.6 ppg) and junior Olivia Williams (10.4 ppg) round out the quartet.

• 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 Anteaters earned a No. 13 seed in their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1995.

SCOUTING THE ROADRUNNERS
Cal State Bakersfield (0-6, 0-0 Big West) is searching for its first win of the season. The Roadrunners were last in action on Wednesday, Nov. 27, when they fell at Eastern Washington, 67-58. Redshirt freshman Caitie Gingras finished with a team-high 14 points (4-6 FG, 3-5 3FG) in her season debut. Senior Ary Dizon has started every game and is tops on the squad in rebounding (4.8 rpg), assists (11) and blocks (16).

SERIES RECORD
UC Irvine trails in its all-time series with Cal State Bakersfield, 13-11, but has won seven of the last eight, including both meetings last year. The Anteaters defeated the 'Runners, 71-48, at home on Dec. 30, 2023, before securing a 72-68 victory at the Icardo Center on Feb. 17, 2024. 

LAST TIME OUT
UC Irvine dropped the second game of its Thanksgiving road trip, falling 60-50 to the University of Denver last Saturday at Hamilton Gymnasium. The Anteaters, who were coming off a heartbreaking loss at New Mexico three days earlier, struggled offensively. They shot a season-low 30% from the floor and 14% from beyond the arc. Summah Hanson led all players with 19 points (7-14 FG) and nine rebounds. Olivia Williams added 12 points, while Nevaeh Dean finished with eight points, eight boards and three assists. Déja Lee chipped in seven points, five rebounds and three steals.

MID-MAJOR POLL
UCI has been receiving votes in each of the first five College Insider Women's Mid-Major Polls of the 2024-25 campaign. Last year, 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.

LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN
UC Irvine has become a powerhouse in The Big West under ninth-year head coach Tamara Inoue. The Anteaters placed among the top-two in the conference in each of the last five years, including the first regular-season title in program history in 2022-23. Since 2020-21, UCI has not lost more than four conference games in a season, combining for a league-leading 57-14 (.803) record during that stretch. The 'Eaters also advanced to the championship game of the Big West tournament three times in the last four years.

FREE THROWS
In last week's two-game road trip, the Anteaters went 24-for-26 (92%) at the free throw line. After a perfect 9-of-9 performance at New Mexico, they knocked down 15 of their 17 attempts at the charity stripe at Denver. UC Irvine enters Thursday's contest ranked 20th in the nation with a 78.1% clip on the season.

THE 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 with trips to Philadelphia, Albuquerque, Denver, Bakersfield, Corvallis and Eugene. 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).

DEFENSIVE IDENTITY
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 five opponents to 60 points or less, including a season-low 47 at Drexel. UC Irvine limited the Dragons to 26% shooting and a 2-of-21 performance from beyond the arc. The Anteaters enter the week ranked second in The Big West in scoring defense (58.6 ppg).

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 866 career points, putting her 134 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 (6.9 rpg) and second in scoring (13.4 ppg). Hanson has reached double figures in scoring in each of the last four games with 19 at Denver, 18 at New Mexico, a season-high 20 at Penn and 12 at Drexel. The 6-foot-3 forward added 10 rebounds against the Quakers for the Anteaters' first double-double of the season. She was named The Big West Player of the Week (Nov. 25) for her effort. Over the last four games, Hanson is averaging 17.0 points and 8.8 rebounds while shooting 48% from the field and 94% at the free throw line.

THREE-POINT THREAT
Junior Olivia Williams is tops on the squad in both 3-pointers made (16) and 3-point field goal percentage (45.7%). Over the last five games, she has been even more efficient from beyond the arc where she is shooting at a 56% clip. 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 been finding her rhythm on the court, reaching double figures in scoring in four of the last six games. She finished with a career-high 18 points at New Mexico where she was 7-of-14 from the field and 4-for-7 from deep. Williams also had 15 points vs. William & Mary, 14 against Saint Mary's and 12 at Denver. 

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 third in rebounding (5.0 rpg). The 5-foot-9 guard has scored 10+ points in five of her six outings 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. She did not play in the Anteaters' last two games due to an injury.

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 10.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.9 steals. Lee had a season-best 20 points at New Mexico where she was 7-for-12 from the floor and 3-of-5 from deep. The 5-foot-9 point guard also finished with 15 points at Drexel, and 10 vs. New Mexico State, Pepperdine and Saint Mary's. In addition, she has dished out a season-best six assists twice and recorded three steals on three occasions. Lee ranks among the top-10 in program history with 110 threes made (9th) and 167 steals (10th).

DEAN DELIVERS
Graduate student Nevaeh Dean has recorded three assists and 6+ rebounds in each of the last three games. In a 72-68 overtime win at Penn, Dean pulled down a season-high nine boards. She has also been an offensive threat, posting 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. Dean has started 71 of 72 games played in her two-plus years at UC Irvine. She transferred to UCI from Cincinnati prior to the 2022-23 season. 

IRON WOMAN
Senior Nikki Tom has played in every game since her arrival at UC Irvine in 2021-22. Her 105 consecutive appearances, 82 starts and 3,068 minutes played leads the team. The Fresno, California, native is among the Anteaters' top-three in assists (25) and steals (12) this season. She has 23 career double-figure scoring performances and was a 2022-23 All-Big West honorable mention selection. Last year, she also led the team 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 UC Irvine's all-time leaders with 169 career steals. She is 27 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 167.

UP NEXT
UC Irvine will have a week off for finals before heading to the Pacific Northwest for a pair of non-conference games at Oregon State (Dec. 15) and at Oregon (Dec. 19).