UC Irvine (16-6, 10-2 Big West) at
UC Santa Barbara (13-10, 7-6 Big West)
Date: Thursday, Feb. 13
Time: 7 p.m. (PST)
Location: The Thunderdome (6,000) - Santa Barbara, Calif.

Hawai'i (17-6, 11-2 Big West) at
UC Irvine (16-6, 10-2 Big West)
Date: Saturday, Feb. 15
Time: 2 p.m. (PST)
Location: Bren Events Center (5,000) - Irvine, Calif.

IRVINE, Calif. - UC Irvine women's basketball wraps up a three-game road stretch on Thursday, Feb. 13, when it heads to UC Santa Barbara for a 7 p.m. showdown. The Anteaters then return to the friendly confines of the Bren Events Center to host Hawai'i in a crucial conference tilt on Saturday, Feb. 15. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m.

STARTING FIVE: STORYLINES
• UCI's nationally-ranked defense, which is 11th in the country at 54.3 points allowed per game, has held each of its last four opponents to under 50. The 'Eaters also rank 13th in all of NCAA Division I in FG% defense (.356).

• Senior Déja Lee reached a significant milestone in the Anteaters' 52-49 win at UC Davis on Saturday, Feb. 1, as she scored her 1,000th career point on a clutch free throw with 17 seconds left in the game. Lee is only the 15th member of UC Irvine women's basketball's 1K club. 

• Junior Hunter Hernandez leads the 'Eaters in both scoring (13.6 ppg) and rebounding (5.8 rpg). Hernandez has reached double figures in scoring in 16 of her 20 outings and owns a team-best two double-doubles.

• Senior Nikki Tom has been a catalyst in the Anteaters' recent stretch where they have won eight of their last nine games. Since Jan. 11, Tom is averaging 7.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.5 steals, while shooting 45.8% from the field (22-48) and 37.5% (6-16) from beyond the arc.

• Since 2020-21, UC Irvine has combined for a league-leading 67-16 (.807) record in Big West play. During that stretch, the 'Eaters have not lost more than four conference games in a season. In addition, they have been swept in a Big West series only twice with both coming against Hawai'i (2022 and 2024).

BIG WEST STANDINGS
UC Irvine (10-2) enters the week a half-game behind league-leading Hawai'i (11-2) in the Big West standings. The Anteaters are 1.5 games ahead of third-place UC Davis (9-4), while Long Beach State sits in fourth at 8-5.

SCOUTING THE GAUCHOS
UC Santa Barbara (13-10, 7-6 Big West) had its three-game win streak snapped with a 65-58 loss at Hawai'i last Saturday. Alyssa Marin is the Gauchos' top scorer at 14.2 points per contest. Zoe Borter is also in double figures (10.3 ppg), while Skylar Burke is averaging 9.7 points and a team-best 6.8 rebounds. Jessica Grant is UCSB's most prolific 3-point shooter with 53 threes (40.2%).

SCOUTING THE RAINBOW WAHINE
Hawai'i (17-6, 11-2 Big West) won its 11th-straight after erasing a 19-point first-quarter deficit in a 65-58 victory over UC Santa Barbara (Feb. 8). The Rainbow Wahine have not lost since a 72-62 setback at UCSB on Jan. 2. UH ranks among the top five in the nation in both field goal percentage defense (4th, .335) and scoring defense (5th, 52.7 ppg). Lily Wahinekapu leads the 'Bows with 10.8 points per contest, while Ritorya Tamilo is tops on the squad with 5.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per outing.

SERIES RECORDS
UC Irvine trails in its all-time series with UC Santa Barbara, 67-40, but has won the last eight meetings. Last year, the Anteaters defeated the Gauchos, 60-38, at home (Feb. 8, 2024) and 54-46 on the road (Feb. 22, 2024). 

UCI trails in its all-time series with Hawai'i, 38-15. The Rainbow Wahine edged the 'Eaters, 46-42, in the first meeting of the year at Stan Sheriff Center on Jan. 25.

LAST TIME OUT
UC Irvine came alive in the third quarter to erase a seven-point halftime deficit and run away with a 56-49 win at UC San Diego last Saturday (Feb. 8). The Anteaters trailed 32-25 after the first 20 minutes of action before outscoring the Tritons, 31-17, after the break. UCI bookended a 19-6 third quarter with a pair of 8-0 runs. Hunter Hernandez led the 'Eaters with a game-high tying 15 points, while pulling down seven rebounds. Summah Hanson added 11 points and Nevaeh Dean corralled a career-high 10 boards. UC Irvine finished with a season-best 50 rebounds.

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 67-16 (.807) record during that stretch. The defending champion Anteaters have also advanced to the final of the Big West tournament three times in the last four years.

1K FOR DJ
Senior Déja Lee recently became the 15th member of UC Irvine's 1,000-point club. Lee reached the 1K milestone on a free throw with 17 seconds left in a 52-49 win at UC Davis on Feb. 1. She is the first Anteater to accomplish the feat with all 1,000 points coming at UCI since Stephanie Duda in 2008. Transfers Diaba Konate '24 and Naomi Hunt '23 both scored 1,000 points in their collegiate careers that included three seasons at previous institutions. 

CLIMBING THE RANKS
Ninth-year head coach Tamara Inoue ranks second among the program's all-time winningest coaches with 156 career victories. She is two wins behind Dean Andrea (158), who spent 13 years at the helm from 1978-1991. Inoue has led UC Irvine 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).

MID-MAJOR POLL
UC Irvine received one vote in the latest College Insider Women's Mid-Major Poll released on Feb. 11. It was the 11th time this season the Anteaters were featured in the RV section. Fellow Big West member Hawai'i was also receiving votes (22).

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 16 of their 22 opponents to 60 points or less. As of Feb. 12, UC Irvine ranks 11th in the nation in scoring defense (54.3 ppg) and 13th in field goal percentage defense (35.6%).

CONSISTENCY IS KEY
The Anteaters have used the same starting lineup in all but two games this season. Nevaeh Dean, Hunter Hernandez, Déja Lee, Nikki Tom and Olivia Williams have taken the court as the first five 20 times this season and UCI is 16-4 in those contests. Hernandez is the only one to have missed a start as she did not play in losses at New Mexico (Nov. 27) and at Denver (Nov. 30) due to an injury.

CAN'T GUARD THEM ALL
Six 'Eaters, including all five starters, have knocked down 10+ 3-pointers this season. Olivia Williams leads the way with a team-high 32 threes. Déja Lee also has 25, while Hunter Hernandez has 23. Nikki Tom (11) and Nevaeh Dean (11) round out the starting five, while Summah Hanson has buried 16 triples off the bench.

STEALING THE SHOW
Senior Déja Lee is tied for second among UCI's all-time leaders with 188 career steals, while senior Nikki Tom is right on her heels in fourth (187). 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 her four steals in the opener vs. New Mexico State. Lee, who set a single-season school record with 82 steals last year, also cracked the top-10 with her 160th career takeaway at Drexel on Nov. 20.

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 (13.6 ppg) and rebounding (5.8 rpg). The 5-foot-9 guard has scored 10+ points in 16 of her 20 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 has two double-doubles this season with 18 points/10 rebounds at Cal Poly (Jan. 18) and 16 points/11 rebounds against Long Beach State (Jan. 30).

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 10.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.6 steals. Lee, who has reached double figures in scoring 14 times, had a season-best 20 points at New Mexico (Nov. 27) 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 second in program history in career steals (188) and is seventh in threes made (124).

MAKING IT COUNT
Sophomore Summah Hanson is tops on the squad in free throw percentage (90%). Hanson has missed only six free throws on 60 attempts this season. The 6-foot-3 forward made her first 12 foul shots of the year before sinking 16 consecutive FTs from Nov. 21-Dec. 15. Hanson earned UC Irvine's lone 2024-25 Big West Player of the Week award on Nov. 25, following a season-best 20-point, 10-rebound effort in an overtime win at Penn. She is currently second on the team in rebounding (5.5 rpg) and third in scoring (9.8 ppg).

THREE-POINT THREAT
Junior Olivia Williams is tops on the squad in 3-pointers made (32) and is second in efficiency at 35.2% (minimum 5 3FG). She has knocked down multiple threes on 11 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 8.4 ppg, has reached double figures in scoring nine 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 119 consecutive appearances, 96 starts and 3,480 minutes are the most among UCI's active players. This year, Tom ranks second on the team in assists (50) and steals (30). The Fresno, California, native has also found her stride offensively as she had a season-best 11 points vs. UC San Diego (Jan. 11) and Long Beach State (Jan. 30). Since Jan. 11, Tom is shooting 45.8% (22-48) from the field and 37.5% (6-16) from beyond the arc.

DEAN DELIVERS
Graduate student Nevaeh Dean is averaging a career-best 5.0 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. She has pulled down 5+ boards 11 times with a career-high 10 in a 56-49 win at UC San Diego on Feb. 8. She also has three double-figure scoring games with a season-best 11 points at Drexel (Nov. 20), 10 vs. Saint Mary's (Nov. 16) and 10 vs. UCSD (Jan. 11). In those three contests, the 6-foot-2 forward combined to go 15-for-25 (60%) from the field. Dean has started 85 of 86 games played in her two-plus years at UC Irvine. She transferred to UCI from Cincinnati prior to the 2022-23 season. 

GIVE AND TAKE
Déja Lee leads UCI and ranks among the top-seven in The Big West in both assists (2.9 apg) and steals (1.6 spg). Lee has dished out multiple assists in 18 of 22 games played, and had multiple steals on 11 occasions.

DEFEND THE BREN
Since 2017-18, UCI is 77-25 (.755) at the Bren Events Center. The Anteaters, who have won eight in a row on their home court, are 8-1 at the BEC this year. They have not lost more than four home games in each of the last seven seasons.

UP NEXT
UC Irvine will travel to CSUN on Thursday, Feb. 20, before hosting Cal State Bakersfield in its Breast Cancer Awareness Game on Saturday, Feb. 22.