THIS WEEK IN ANTEATER BASKETBALL
CSU Bakersfield (8-15, 2-9) at UC Irvine (15-7, 8-2)
Bren Events Center (5,000) - Irvine, Calif.
Thursday, Feb. 5 - 7:00 PM | ESPN+ |  Live Stats 

UC Irvine (15-7, 8-2) at UC San Barbara (15-7, 8-3)
The Thunderdome (6,000) – Santa Barbara, Calif.
Saturday, Feb. 7 - 7:00 PM | ESPNU | Live Stats 

UC Irvine hosts CSU Bakersfield Thursday (Feb. 5) at 7:00 p.m. at the Bren Events Center before heading to UC Santa Barbara Saturday (Feb. 7) for a 7:00 p.m. first tip at the Thunderdome.

STORYLINES
In the lone game last week, UC Irvine beat Hawaii 87-76 in overtime in the battle of first place teams to improve to 15-7 overall.

Entering the week, UCI sits in the top spot in the Big West standings at 8-2, a half game up on Hawaii and UC Santa Barbara (8-3).

The last time the two teams met, the Anteaters beat CSU Bakersfield 81-77 on New Year's Day. 

Guard Jurian Dixon had a career-high 26 points in the first meeting with the Roadrunners, hitting 8-13 from the floor, including hitting 6-7 from long distance. He was also 4-6 from the free throw line with two assists and two rebounds. His six threes are tied for fifth most by a Big West player this season.

This season UCI is 7-3 at home and 5-3 on the road and are riding a three-game winning streak.

Senior Kyle Evans, who was named to the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watch List last week, was named the Lute Olson Award National Player of the Week after an impressive performance against Hawaii. He logged his sixth double-double of the year with a team-high 19 points and 11 rebounds and a career-high tying eight blocks against the Rainbow Warriors. His eight blocks are tied for fourth most in a game nationally this season.

Evans leads the nation in blocks with 75 and in blocking average (3.36). He is one block shy of moving into the Big West's Top 10 blocks season list. He is currently 11th, trailing UNLV's Elmore Spencer who had 76 in 1990-91.

Nationally, UC Irvine is one of the best defenses in the country, ranking second in blocks (6.1), third in field goal percentage defense (37.3) and ninth in defensive rebounds (29.23).

The Anteaters moved up the CollegeInsider.com Mid Major poll this week checking at No. 13. UCSB is 24th.

CAL STATE BAKERSFIELD LOWDOWN
In the first meeting, UCI never trailed and had an 18-point lead in the final four minutes that CSUB whittled down to a final score of 81-77. Jurian Dixon rolled in a career-high 26 points hitting six threes while Kyle Evans had a double-double and four blocks.

Ronald Jessamy had 25 and 12 in that game on 11-of-16 shooting, but has hit double-digits just twice since then. He still maintains the team's lead in rebounding and blocks. CJ Hardy hit his average that game with 14 while Dailin Smith, the team's leading scorer with 16.2 PPG came off the bench with nine.

CSUB is currently at 2-9 in the Big West standings. After the teams matched up, they immediately got their two wins at UC Davis and versus UC Riverside, but have dropped six straight since with four coming at home.

The Anteaters have won the last 10 meetings with the Roadrunners.

GAUCHOS ON THE HORIZON
UC Santa Barbara and UCI will meet for the first time this season with the Gauchos jumping right into the Big West race. UCSB is 8-3, winning six straight including victories at UC San Diego and at home vs. Hawai'i. Overall, they're 15-7 that includes a win over San Jose State and loss to Utah Valley much like the 'Eaters. UCSB will travel to UC Davis Thursday before hosting the Anteaters.

The Gauchos hold the all-time series lead, 55-50, but UCI has owned the series under coach Turner at 15-4, including five consecutive wins.

The Gauchos can shoot with the best of them. They top the Big West in field goal percentage (48.1%) and three-point percentage (38.7%) while also top three in other stats like free throw percentage, bench points, and rebound margin. On the flip side, they are near the bottom in FG and three-point defense so potential for a high-scoring matchup Saturday on ESPNU.

UCSB is led by five players averaging double figures with UConn transfer Aidan Mahaney at 14.3 PPG including 50 threes, Utah transfer Miro Little at 12.0 PPG, and a deep rotation that shares the rock and can take it away.

SWAT TEAM
Senior forward Kyle Evans has totaled a nation's leading 75 blocks this season, the most by an Anteater player since Will Davis II had 85 in 2012-13.

Evans ranks seventh all-time in UCI blocks with 120. He is now tracking down Brad Greene who totaled 150 from 2016-21.

He is second in the Big West in field goal percentage (.632) and rebounding with an 8.4 average, while being 24th in scoring in 11.8 points per game. He has recorded six double-doubles this season, the second most in the Big West and 52nd most nationally.

HENRY SURGING
Guard Andre Henry is averaging 14.0 points and shooting .469 (15-32) from the floor over the last three games. He has recorded points in double figures nine times this season, including a season-high 17 points against Hawaii. Versus UH, he went 6-13 from the floor with a three-pointer and 4-5 from the line.

Henry is the NCAAs active leader in career games, playing in 133 over his five-plus years.

Henry, the 2024 Big West Defensive Player of the Year, is averaging 8.3 points and 2.6 rebounds per game overall.

CARRINGTON COMING ALIVE
Forward Harrison Carrington has provided a spark off the bench, averaging 8.2 points and 3.6 rebounds, shooting .574 (66-115) from the floor.

He has recorded double-figure scoring in each of the last four games, pulling down a career-high eight rebounds against Hawaii.

AMONG THE BIG WEST BEST
Redshirt sophomore Jurian Dixon is sixth in the Big West in scoring with a 15.7 mark, recording double-digit scoring in all but three games this season. He has led the Anteaters in scoring 11 times and posted 20 or more points four times this season. The guard leads the team in threes with 44 and is fifth in three-point field goal percentage (.411) among Big West players.

Redshirt sophomore Derin Saran ranks seventh in assists (3.7), 10th in rebounds (4.7) and 17th in minutes played (30.2) among Big West players. He has recorded 20 or more points four times this season, including a career and Anteater-high 29 versus Northern Iowa. He has led the Anteaters in scoring on seven occasions and toppped the squad in rebounding seven times.

True freshman Tama Isaac is averaging 3.8 assists per game, which is sixth in the Big West. Both Saran and Isaac have dished 10 or more assists in a game this season. The 10 assists are tied for sixth most by a Big West player this year.

HAWAII REWIND
The Anteaters dominated overtime, out-scoring the Rainbow Warriors, 15-4 to secure the victory. Guard Andre Henry scored eight of UCI's points in extra time on his way to a season-high 17 points.

For the game, UCI was led by a pair of double-doubles from forward Kyle Evans and guard Jurian Dixon each with 19 points. Dixon pulled down a career-high 10 rebounds and had four assists, while Evans had 11 boards and eight blocks.

The Anteater defense held Hawaii to 23-69 shooting from the floor (33.3%), going just 2-11 (18.2%) in overtime, including 0-6 from long range. UCI also dominated the glass, out-rebounding UH, 52-37.

UCI had 22 points on fast breaks, while holding the Rainbow Warriors to none. The Anteaters scored 54 points in the paint and took advantage of second chance opportunities, scoring 14 points.

Along with Evans, Dixon and Henry, guard Tama Isaac and Harrison Carrington had double digit scoring. Isaac totaled 15 points on 5-9 shooting from the floor and 4-4 from the line. He had a team-best seven assists and two steals, while Carrington added 10 points, eight rebounds, two assists and a steal.

The Anteaters shot 47.1 percent from the field (33-70), going 4-7 (57.1%) in the final five minutes. UCI tied a season-low with two three-pointers (2-11).