UC Irvine (13-2, 4-0 Big West) at
Long Beach State (1-12, 0-3 Big West)
Date: Thursday, Jan. 8
Time: 6 p.m. (PST)
Location: LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid (4,200) - Long Beach, Calif.

Hawai'i (6-8, 0-4 Big West) at
UC Irvine (13-2, 4-0 Big West)
Date: Saturday, Jan. 10
Time: 2 p.m. (PST)
Location: Bren Events Center (5,000) - Irvine, Calif.

IRVINE, Calif. - UC Irvine women's basketball makes the short drive to Black & Blue Rival Long Beach State for a 6 p.m. conference showdown on Thursday, Jan. 8. The Anteaters then return home to host Hawai'i on Saturday, Jan. 10. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. at the Bren Events Center and the game will be broadcast live on Spectrum SportsNet.
 
STARTING FIVE: STORYLINES
• UCI is on a program-record 12-game win streak. It is the sixth-longest active win streak in all of NCAA Division I. The Anteaters are 13-2 on the season, marking the program's best record through 15 games.

• The 'Eaters are 4-0 in Big West play for the fourth time in program history and first since 2022-23. This week, they will be facing two teams looking for their first conference win of the season. LBSU is 0-3, while the Rainbow Wahine, who were picked to repeat as Big West regular-season champions, are 0-4.

• Hunter Hernandez was the first individual to win three-straight Big West Women's Basketball Player of the Week awards since February 2017 as she earned the honor on Dec. 8, 15, and 22. On the season, Hernandez ranks 32nd in the nation with 19.1 ppg, while she has been even better in her four Big West outings where she is averaging a league-leading 25.0 ppg.

• In their 13 wins this season, the Anteaters have led for 483 of 520 minutes played. They have not trailed at or after the half in all 13 of their victories.

• Despite being the only Big West team without a non-Division I opponent on its preseason schedule, UC Irvine leads the conference in overall wins (13), scoring offense (73.2 ppg), scoring defense (57.7ppg), scoring margin (+15.5), rebounding margin (+4.7), FT% (.820), and FG% defense (.345).

SCHOOL RECORD STREAK
After a pair of road losses to drop to 1-2 in early November, UC Irvine has won a program-record 12 games in a row. The Anteaters' previous best was nine consecutive victories in 1976 and in 2022-23. During their current stretch, the 'Eaters are averaging 76.3 ppg, while owning a +20.1 scoring margin. Since Nov. 15, they are shooting 42% overall, 35% from beyond the arc, and 83% at the free throw line.

SCOUTING THE BEACH
Long Beach State (1-12, 0-3 Big West) fell at Cal Poly, 63-49, in its lone game last week. The Beach's one win this season came against Hope International on Dec. 29. JaQuoia Jones-Brown leads LBSU in scoring (17.1 ppg), rebounding (7.2 rpg), and assists (2.2 apg).

SCOUTING THE RAINBOW WAHINE
Hawai'i (6-8, 0-4 Big West), which was picked as the Big West preseason favorite, is still searching for its first conference win after falling to UC Riverside, 65-58, and UC San Diego, 65-54, at home last week. Bailey Flavell leads the Rainbow Wahine with 13.4 points per game, while Imani Perez has registered a team-best 6.5 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per outing.

SERIES RECORDS
UC Irvine trails in its all-time series with Long Beach State, 65-25, but has won four of the last five. The two teams split the regular-season series last year with the Anteaters taking a 61-47 victory at home on Jan. 30, before dropping a 73-52 decision at the Pyramid on March 1.

UCI trails in its all-time series with Hawai'i, 39-15. The Rainbow Wahine have won four in a row after sweeping the 'Eaters last year. The 'Bows held UCI to under 50 points in each of their last four meetings.

1,000 POINT CLUB
Senior Hunter Hernandez became the 16th member of UCI women's basketball's 1,000-point club on Dec. 13. Hernandez, who needed 21 points to reach the milestone, finished with a game-high 27 in a win over California Baptist. She has since moved into a tie for 10th in program history with 1,108 career points. It is the second-straight season an Anteater hit the 1K benchmark.

SCORING SPREE
Hunter Hernandez has reached double figures in scoring in 14 of 15 games this season. She has been on fire recently, averaging 26.7 ppg since Dec. 6. During that six-game stretch, the San Jose native has dropped 25+ five times, while shooting 48% from the field, 50% from deep, and 87% at the foul line. In the non-conference finale at UTEP (Dec. 18), Hernandez went off for a career-high 36 points, which is tied for the fourth-highest individual scoring total in single-game school history. On the year, Hernandez leads the 'Eaters and ranks second in the conference with 19.1 ppg. Hernandez, who is UCI's only returning starter, has 55 career double-figure scoring games, and 12 20+ point performances. She is a two-time first-team All-Big West selection (2024-25 and 2022-23), and made the All-Freshman Team in 2021-22. Hernandez missed the 2023-24 season with a second ACL injury.

MID-MAJOR RANKINGS
UC Irvine climbed to No. 14 in this week's College Insider Women's Mid-Major Poll. It is the first time the Anteaters cracked the top-15 since Jan. 24, 2023. The 'Eaters, who had been receiving votes for three-straight weeks in December, entered the top-25 on Dec. 23.

LAST TIME OUT
UC Irvine came out on top in a battle of two of the Big West's early unbeaten teams as it defeated Cal State Fullerton, 64-51, last Saturday at the Bren Events Center. It was the Anteaters' 12th-straight victory as they improved to 13-2 overall and 4-0 in conference. Hunter Hernandez had her third-straight outing with 20+ points as she tallied a game-high 26. Hernandez added eight rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Jada Wynn finished with 10 points, four boards, and four assists, while Summah Hanson, compiled six points, nine rebounds, and two blocks for one of her best performances since making her season debut on Dec. 13. Ameerah Grant chipped in six points, and Nohe'alani Stores pulled down seven boards.

WIDE MARGIN
In its 13 wins this season, UCI has led for 482:57 of 520 minutes played. The 'Eaters have been dominant as they have not trailed in seven of those victories, and have outscored their opponents by 19.9 ppg in those contests. 

OFFENSE AND DEFENSE
UCI ranks first in the Big West in both scoring offense (73.2 ppg) and scoring defense (57.7 ppg). The Anteaters have finished with 70+ points in 10 of their 15 games and scored 80+ in three of their last four. They also held their opponents to under 60 points on nine occasions. The 'Eaters have been among the top defensive teams in the nation over the last few years as they were 10th in scoring defense in 2024-25 (54.3 ppg), 14th in 2023-24 (55.7 ppg), and seventh in 2022-23 with a school-record 53.2 points allowed per game.

GETTING TO THE LINE
Through games of Jan. 5, UC Irvine is second in all of NCAA Division I in both free throws made (19.1/gm) and free throw percentage (82%). The Anteaters have five or fewer misses from the charity stripe in 11 of their 15 games. Individually, Hunter Hernandez is fourth in the nation in free throws made (84), and 36th in free throw percentage (87.5%). Jada Wynn (86.4%), Ameerah Grant (85.7%), and Shirel Nahum (84.1%) are also shooting over 80% with at least 10 attempts from the foul line.

THREE-PEAT
Hunter Hernandez won three consecutive Big West Player of the Week awards from Dec. 8-22. The 5-foot-9 guard took home her first honor of the year following her first career 30-point game as she dropped 31 at CSUN. She was then recognized for a 27-point performance vs. CBU. Her 21st point against the Lancers was the 1,000th of her career. Hernandez made it three in a row after setting a career high for the second time in three weeks with 36 points in 34 minutes of a 93-72 victory at UTEP. She was 13-of-18 (72%) from the field, 4-for-5 (80%) from beyond the arc, and a perfect 6-of-6 at the free throw line against the Miners. Hernandez became the first individual to win three-straight Big West Women's Basketball Player of the Week awards since February 2017.

FAMILY TIES
Senior Jada Wynn has returned home for the final season of her collegiate career. After spending the last two years at Texas Tech, the Yorba Linda native is back in Orange County to play in front of her family. One family member will be on the bench as Jada is the eldest daughter of UCI assistant coach Derek Wynn.

WYNN-ING MENTALITY
After averaging 3.5 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.1 assists at Texas Tech, Jada Wynn is putting up career numbers as an Anteater. She ranks second on the squad with 14.9 points per game, while leading the team in rebounding (8.3 rpg), assists (3.7 apg), and steals (1.5 spg). The 6-foot-1 guard owns 13 double-figure scoring games and five double-doubles, including three-straight from Dec. 4-13. She started the streak with 15 points and a career-high 13 rebounds at UC Riverside (Dec. 4). Two days later, Wynn put up 18 points and 12 boards at CSUN. She also notched 12 points and 11 rebounds vs. CBU (Dec. 13).

SHARPSHOOTER
Sophomore Lauryn Madsen is tops on the squad and third in the Big West with 36 made threes. On Dec. 16, she matched her career high with 15 points on a 5-of-8 performance from distance at New Mexico State. She previously went 5-for-9 for 15 points in a win over Bowling Green on Nov. 21. Madsen was the first Anteater to knock down five 3-pointers in a game since March 2, 2024. The Warden, Washington, native also buried four treys against Wichita State (14 points), CBU (12 points), San Diego (12 points), and Idaho State (12 points). On the season, only four of her 40 field goals and 10 of her 117 attempts have been from inside the arc. In 37 career games played, Madsen has a triple in 27 of them, and drained multiple threes 12 times. In 2025-26, the 5-foot-11 guard is averaging 8.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.5 steals per contest. 

ON POINT
Junior Shirel Nahum has taken on the starting point guard role after the graduation of two-time first-team All-Big West selection and 2023-24 Big West Player of the Year Déja Lee. Nahum had a breakout performance in a 90-75 win over NAU as she finished with a career-high 23 points. Over the last 10 games, Nahum has settled in as a primary playmaker with 32 assists (3.2 apg). She dished out a career-best seven dimes in a win over Colgate on Nov. 29. On the season, Nahum is averaging 7.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.5 steals.

STATEMENT DEBUTS
Freshman Nohe'alani Stores, who has reached double figures in scoring on five occasions, ranks fifth on the team with 7.1 points per game. She is also tops on the squad in field goal percentage (58.5%). In her collegiate debut against San Diego, the 6-foot-2 forward tied for the team lead with a season-high 17 points (7-8 FG). Stores reached double figures again in wins over NAU (14), Bowling Green (13), Colgate (11), and St. Thomas (10). Freshman Ameerah Grant has also been a significant contributor off the bench in her first collegiate season. Grant has scored in 11 of her 15 outings, finishing with a season-best 19 points at New Mexico State and 11 at UC Riverside. She has been lights out at the free throw line lately where she is shooting 86% and has made 19 consecutive foul shots.

SUMMAH TIME
Junior Summah Hanson is averaging 5.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks since making her season debut against California Baptist on Dec. 13. She is coming off one of her best performances of the year as she had six points, nine rebounds, and two blocks against Cal State Fullerton (Jan. 3). Last season, which was her first at UCI, Hanson was named the Big West's Best Sixth Player. She appeared in all 31 games, averaging 8.6 points and 5.4 rebounds in 18.7 minutes per outing. 

DEFEND THE BREN
Since 2017-18, UCI is 87-26 (.770) at the Bren Events Center. Last year, the 'Eaters went 12-2 in Irvine, tying the single-season school record for home wins. This year, the Anteaters are 7-0 with a +17.9 scoring margin at the Bren. Dating back to the 2024-25 season, the 'Eaters have won 11 in a row at home.

LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN
UCI has become a powerhouse in the Big West under 10th-year head coach Tamara Inoue. The Anteaters placed among the top-two in the conference in each of the last six years, including the first regular-season title in program history in 2022-23. Since 2020-21, UC Irvine has not lost more than five conference games in a season, combining for a league-leading 76-19 (.800) record during that stretch. The 'Eaters also advanced to the championship game of the Big West tournament three times in the last five years, winning it all in 2023-24.

UP NEXT
UC Irvine continues a four-game Big West homestand next Saturday, Jan. 17, when it entertains UC Davis at 2 p.m.