UC Riverside (8-9, 4-3 Big West) at
UC Irvine (12-5, 6-1 Big West)
Date: Thursday, Jan. 23
Time: 6 p.m. (PST)
Location: Bren Events Center (5,000) - Irvine, Calif.

UC Irvine (12-5, 6-1 Big West) at
Hawai'i (11-6, 5-2 Big West)
Date: Saturday, Jan. 25
Time: 7 p.m. (HT) / 9 p.m. (PST)
Location: SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center (10,300) - Honolulu, Hawaii

IRVINE, Calif. - UC Irvine women's basketball wraps up its regular-season series with UC Riverside when it hosts the Highlanders in a 6 p.m. showdown at the Bren Events Center on Thursday, Jan. 23. The Anteaters will then make the trek to Hawai'i for their first meeting with the Rainbow Wahine on Saturday, Jan. 25.

STARTING FIVE: STORYLINES
• Since 2020-21, UCI has combined for a league-leading 63-15 (.808) record in Big West play. During that stretch, the 'Eaters have not lost more than four conference games in a season and have been swept in a Big West regular-season series only twice, both of which came against Hawai'i (2022, 2024).

• Junior Hunter Hernandez leads the Anteaters and ranks sixth in The Big West in scoring at 14.0 points per game. Last Saturday, Hernandez recorded her first double-double of the season, and fourth of her career with 18 points and 10 rebounds in a 59-57 win at Cal Poly. Her final three points came on a game-winning and-1 with 1.3 seconds on the clock.

• Senior Déja Lee is tied for third in school history with 186 career steals. She is on pace to break the all-time school record as she is 10 behind Andee Ritter who swiped a program-best 196 steals from 2015-19. Lee is also seventh in school history with 119 career 3-pointers made, and is 43 points away from becoming the 15th member of UC Irvine's 1,000-point club.

• Sophomore Summah Hanson ranks first in The Big West and 14th in the nation in free throw percentage (91.2%). Hanson owns three separate streaks of 10+ consecutive free throws made with a season-high 16 from Nov. 21-Dec. 15.

• With a victory on Thursday, UCI would match its longest win streak of the season at five games and extend its home win streak to seven.

SCOUTING THE HIGHLANDERS
UC Riverside (8-9, 4-3 Big West) split its two games last week, defeating UC Santa Barbara, 62-52, before dropping a narrow 59-58 decision to UC San Diego on the road. Junior guard Shelley Duchemin is the only Highlander averaging double figures in scoring at 11.2 points per contest. Senior forward Esther Matarranz has anchored the defense with a team-best 7.3 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 0.9 blocks per outing.

SCOUTING THE RAINBOW WAHINE
After dropping its first two Big West games, Hawai'i (11-6, 5-2 Big West) has won its last five including a pair of road victories at CSUN and Cal State Bakersfield last week. The Rainbow Wahine will host UC Davis (Jan. 23) before welcoming the Anteaters to SimpliFi Arena. Senior guard Lily Wahinekapu leads UH with 10.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.3 steals per outing. Hawai'i ranks among the top-10 in the nation in scoring defense (9th, 53.6 ppg) and field goal percentage defense (5th, 33.8%).

SERIES RECORDS
UC Irvine trails in its all-time series with UC Riverside, 42-29. The two teams met on January 4 when the Highlanders snapped a seven-game skid against the Anteaters with a 59-54 victory at SRC Arena. Déja Lee led the 'Eaters with 15 points (6-9 FG), four assists and three steals. Shelley Duchemin paced UCR with 14 points (5-5 FG).

UCI trails in its all-time series with Hawai'i, 37-15. The Rainbow Wahine swept the season series in 2022 and 2024, while the Anteaters took both games over UH in 2023. In the most recent meeting, Hawai'i defeated the 'Eaters, 55-43, in Honolulu (Feb. 3, 2024). Déja Lee finished with a game-high 21, including all 13 of UCI's third-quarter points. MeiLani McBee led the Rainbow Wahine with 14 points and seven rebounds.

LAST TIME OUT
Hunter Hernandez's and-1 with 1.3 seconds on the clock lifted UC Irvine to a thrilling 59-57 victory over Cal Poly last Saturday at Mott Athletics Center. It was a close game from start to finish with 14 lead changes, six ties and neither side going up by more than five. Olivia Williams knocked down two triples in a two-minute span late in the fourth quarter to put the Anteaters on top, 56-54. The Mustangs answered as Ashley Hiraki buried a three with just under a minute to go. After an empty possession, UCI forced a missed 3-pointer on the other end with Hernandez collecting the rebound and quickly calling a timeout. The 'Eaters advanced the ball and with time winding down, got it back to Hernandez who drove the lane for the layup and the foul. She converted the free throw for the 59-57 win. Hernandez had her first double-double of the season with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Déja Lee added 10 points, while Nikki Tom went 4-for-4 from the field for eight points and swiped three steals. Williams also had eight points.

DEFEND THE BREN
Since 2017-18, UCI is 75-25 (.750) at the Bren Events Center. The Anteaters, who have won six in a row on their home court, are 6-1 at the BEC this year. They have not lost more than four home games in each of the last seven seasons.

LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN
UC Irvine has become a powerhouse in The Big West under ninth-year head coach Tamara Inoue. The 'Eaters placed among the top-two in the conference in each of the last five years, including winning 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 63-15 (.808) record during that stretch. The defending champion Anteaters have advanced to the final of the Big West tournament three times in the last four years.

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 ppg, 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 11 of their 17 opponents to 60 points or less, including a season-low 38 vs. Cal Poly. As of Jan. 21, UC Irvine ranks second in The Big West and 24th in the nation in scoring defense (55.9 ppg). 

RECEIVING VOTES
UC Irvine is receiving votes in the College Insider Women's Mid-Major Poll for the 10th time this season. UCI is the only Big West institution in the RV section this week.

CLIMBING THE RANKS
Ninth-year head coach Tamara Inoue ranks second among the program's all-time winningest coaches with 152 career victories. She is only six wins behind Dean Andrea (158), who spent 13 years at the helm from 1978-1991. Inoue 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 957 career points, putting her 43 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.

GIVE AND TAKE
Déja Lee leads UCI and ranks third in The Big West in both assists (3.1 apg) and steals (2.0 spg). Lee has dished out multiple assists in 14 of 17 games played, and had multiple steals on 11 occasions.

STEALING THE SHOW
Déja Lee is tied for third among UC Irvine's all-time leaders with 186 career steals, while Nikki Tom is tied for fifth (180). They are both on pace to surpass the school record of 196 that was established by Andee Ritter in 2019. Tom entered the program's top-10 after swiping four steals in the opener against New Mexico State. Lee, who set a single-season school record with 82 steals last year, also cracked UCI's top-10 with her 160th career takeaway at Drexel on Nov. 20.

MAKING IT COUNT
Sophomore Summah Hanson is tops in The Big West and 14th in the nation in free throw percentage (91.2%). Hanson has missed only five free throws on 57 attempts this season. She made her first 12 foul shots of the year before sinking 16 consecutive FTs from Nov. 21-Dec. 15. 

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, leads the team in scoring (14.0 ppg) and rebounding (5.8 rpg). The 5-foot-9 guard has scored 10+ points in 12 of her 15 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. In addition, Hernandez put up her fourth career double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds at Cal Poly (Jan. 18).

SUMMAH TIME
Summah Hanson has made an immediate impact at UC Irvine as she is second on the team in scoring (10.8 ppg) and rebounding (5.3 rpg). Hanson, a sophomore transfer from Sacramento State, has reached double figures in scoring eight times with a season-high 20 points at Penn on Nov. 21. 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. 

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 10.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.0 steals. Lee, who has reached double figures in scoring in five-straight contests, had a season-best 20 points at New Mexico where she was 7-for-12 from the floor and 3-of-5 from distance. The 5-foot-9 point guard also pulled down a career-high nine rebounds at Cal State Bakersfield on Dec. 5. In addition, she has dished out a season-best six assists on two occasions. Lee is tied for third in program history in career steals (186) and is seventh in threes made (119).

THREE-POINT THREAT
Junior Olivia Williams is tops on the squad in 3-pointers made (29) and in efficiency at 37.7% (minimum 5 3FG). She has knocked down multiple threes on 10 occasions with a career-high tying four vs. Saint Mary's (4-6) and at New Mexico (4-7). Williams' start in the season opener on Nov. 4 was her first game since suffering a knee injury in the opening quarter at Hawai'i on Jan. 19, 2023. The 6-foot-1 guard, who is averaging 9.1 ppg, has reached double figures in scoring seven times, including three-straight from Jan. 2-9. She finished with a career-high 18 points at UNM on Nov. 27.

IRON WOMAN
Senior Nikki Tom has played in every game since her arrival at UC Irvine in 2021-22. Her 114 consecutive appearances, 91 starts and 3,310 minutes are the most among UCI's active players. This year, Tom ranks second on the team in assists (40) and steals (23). The Fresno, California, native has also found her stride offensively as she had a season-best 11 points vs. UC San Diego on Jan. 11, 10 at Cal State Fullerton on Jan. 16, and eight at Cal Poly on Jan. 18. Over the last three games, Tom is shooting 64.3% (9-14) from the field, 57.1% (4-7) from distance and 87.5% (7-8) at the free throw line.

DEAN DELIVERS
Graduate student Nevaeh Dean is averaging a career-best 5.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. She has pulled down 5+ boards 10 times with a season-high nine in a 72-68 overtime win at Penn. She also has three double-figure scoring games with a season-best 11 at Drexel (Nov. 20), 10 vs. Saint Mary's (Nov. 16) and 10 vs. UC San Diego (Jan. 11). In those three contests, the 6-foot-2 forward combined to go 15-for-25 (60%) from the field. Dean has started 80 of 81 games played in her two-plus years at UC Irvine. She transferred to UCI from Cincinnati prior to the 2022-23 season. 

UP NEXT
UC Irvine will face two of the top-three teams in The Big West next week. The Anteaters are set to host Long Beach State on Thursday, Jan. 30, before heading to UC Davis on Saturday, Feb. 1.