'Eaters Host UC Davis Saturday Night
Feb. 12, 2010
Game #26
UC Irvine (10-15, 3-8) vs. UC Davis (10-13, 6-5)
Saturday, February 13, 2010 - 7:05 p.m.
Bren Events Center (5,000) - Irvine, Calif.
Series Record: UC Irvine leads 12-11
Last Meeting: UC Davis won 79-77 (1/14/10 in Davis)
Radio: KUCI/88.9 FM (Mark Roberts, 16th season)
`EATERS LOOK TO BREAK SLUMP: UC Irvine, which has lost its last four Big West Conference games, and seven of the past eight, hosts UC Davis Saturday night in a league contest.
The `Eaters have dropped eight of their last 10 games overall following a 72-61 defeat to Cal State Fullerton Wednesday night.
Eric Wise led UCI with 19 points against the Titans. Darren Moore added 14 points and Michael Hunter 13 as the `Eaters fell to 7-5 at home this season. UCI's bench was outscored 22-4 with the team's two baskets by Emil Kim in the final four minutes.
UCI, with just five Big West games left in the season, is tied with UC Riverside for eighth in the standings. The top eight teams compete in the Big West Tournament Mar. 10-13 at the Anaheim Convention Center.
UCI travels to UC Riverside Wednesday before hosting Marist in a BracketBusters non-conference game next Saturday at 4:00 p.m. UCI faces Cal State Northridge Feb. 27 in the Homecoming game and home finale at the Bren Center.
UC Davis, coming off a 62-59 win over league-leading Pacific Wednesday, has won the last four games against UCI, including 79-77 in Davis Jan. 14.
IN THE BREN: UCI is 7-5 at home this season and 173-132 all-time in the Bren Center. The `Eaters have won 92 of their last 127 games (.724) in the Bren dating back to February 2000.
MARIST IS BRACKETBUSTER FOE: UCI will host Marist next Saturday (Feb. 20) at 4:00 p.m. in the Bren Center as part of the BracketBusters series.
This will be the first meeting between the programs. As part of the series' contract, UCI must play a return game versus the Red Foxes in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. next season.
`EATER NOTES
Since facing UC Davis Jan. 14, UCI has shot 39.1 percent from the field over the last eight games, including 31.1 percent from three-point range.
In their 10 victories this season, the `Eaters have shot 46.4 percent from the floor to the opponents' 39.5 percent. UCI has hit 38.9 percent of its threes in those games to 34.6 percent for the opponents.
In the 15 losses, UCI has shot 39.3 percent from the floor to the opposition's 49 percent. The `Eaters have hit 31.4 percent of their threes to the opposition's 39.6 percent in the defeats.
HUNTER TOP 10 IN 3 CATEGORIES: Senior guard Michael Hunter ranks in the top 10 of three UC Irvine career categories.
He is second in three-point field goals (218), third in steals (153) and 10th in assists (282).
Ross Schraeder (2002-06) is the UCI leader in threes with 233 and Jeff Gloger (2002-05) tops the career list with 167 steals.
UCI CAREER 3-POINT FIELD GOALS
233 Ross Schraeder, 2002-06
218 Michael Hunter, 2006-present
201 Jeff Herdman, 1987-91
UCI CAREER STEALS
167 Jeff Gloger, 2002-05
162 Jerry Green, 1998-2002
153 Michael Hunter, 2006-present
UCI CAREER ASSISTS
475 Raimonds Miglinieks, 1994-96
426 Ben McDonald, 1980-84
412 Jerry Green, 1998-2002
282 Michael Hunter, 2006-present
Mike Hess ranks ninth at UCI with 285 career assists.
MOVING UP THE SCORING LIST: Hunter is 16th at UCI with 1,210 career points, two behind No. 15 Jerry Maras (1,212). Hunter needs 42 more points to crack UCI's career top 10 in scoring.
BIG WEST LEADER IN FREE-THROW SHOOTING: Hunter ranks first in the Big West in free-throw percentage (.883), second in three-point field goals made per game (2.48), sixth in steals (1.40) and 11th in scoring (13.7).
He has made 23 of his last 24 foul shots. His streak of 21 came to end on his first attempt Wednesday night before he made his last two.
WISE TOP 10 IN 6 BIG WEST CATEGORIES: Sophomore forward Eric Wise, who is averaging 16.1 points and 6.1 rebounds this season, has accumulated 836 points and 337 rebounds in his young career.
He ranks fourth in the Big West in assist/turnover ratio (1.56) and assists (3.24), fifth in scoring (16.1), eighth in rebounding (6.1), and 10th in field-goal percentage (.453) and free-throw percentage (.712).
Wise had his eighth 20-point game of the season, and 14th of his career, with 21 in last Saturday's 76-63 win over Bakersfield. He has 44 double-digit performances in 56 career games.
He recorded his first double-double of the season (and third of his career) with 14 points and 13 rebounds in the 74-68 loss at Fullerton Jan. 30.
Wise was named the Big West Player of the Week two consecutive weeks (Dec. 28 and Jan. 4).
His 31 points in the 78-68 loss at San Jose State Dec. 28 marked the first 30-point game by an Anteater player in nearly five years. Aaron Fitzgerald scored 30 points in an 80-67 win over Idaho in the Big West Tournament Mar. 9, 2005.
Wise was selected to the media's preseason All-Big West team. He averaged 14.0 points and 6.0 rebounds last season when he was named to the All-Big West Second and Freshman teams.
MOORE'S NUMBERS CONTINUE TO CLIMB: Junior guard Darren Moore has averaged 11.9 points and 5.5 rebounds over the past eight games. Moore ranks seventh in the Big West in free-throw percentage (.738) and eighth in steals (1.24).
RAMBO'S BALL CONTROL: Junior guard Patrick Rembert has 29 assists and just five turnovers in the last nine games, covering 244 minutes of playing time. That is one turnover every 49 minutes of action.
ZACK LEADS BIG WEST IN BLOCKED SHOTS: Senior center Zack Atkinson leads the Big West in blocked shots with 30 for a 1.30 average. He has recorded at least three blocks in five games this season.
Atkinson had eight rebounds in Wednesday's loss to Fullerton, his most in the last 14 games.
TURNOVER TALLY: UCI committed just eight turnovers in Wednesday's loss to Fullerton, the sixth game this season that the `Eaters have been in single digits.
The Anteaters are averaging 12.2 turnovers per game to the opponents' 14.2 as UCI leads the Big West with a turnover margin of +2.00.
UCI IN THE NCAA STATS: As of Friday, UCI ranks 49th (of 334 teams) in the nation in fewest turnovers per game at 12.2 as Wisconsin ranks first at 9.2. The `Eaters are 61st in free-throw percentage (.722) as BYU is No. 1 at .778.
Michael Hunter is 75th in three-point field goals made per game (2.5). Jeremy Hazell of Seton Hall is No. 1 at 3.5.
`EATERS LEAD BIG WEST IN FREE-THROW PERCENTAGE: UCI leads the Big West Conference in free-throw percentage at .722 and in turnover margin (+2.00).
The `Eaters are second in blocked shots (2.84) and assist/turnover ratio (1.07).
ABOUT UC DAVIS: Seventh-year head coach Gary Stewart's Aggies are 10-13 overall and 6-5 in the Big West following a 62-59 win over Pacific Wednesday night at Davis.
Junior guard Mark Payne (16.5) and senior forward Dominic Calegari (16.2) rank 3-4 in the Big West in scoring. Payne did not play in the Pacific game due to an undisclosed illness. Junior guard Joe Harden ranks fourth in the league in rebounding (7.1) and he is 10th in scoring (14.0).
UC Davis defeated UCI, 79-77, in Davis Jan. 14. Calegari scored 28 points and Payne 23 for the Aggies while Eric Wise scored 25 for the `Eaters.
