UC Irvine Hosts Cal State Bakersfield Saturday In Lone Game Of The Week
Feb. 3, 2010
UCI HOSTS CAL STATE BAKERSFIELD IN LONE GAME OF THE WEEK: The UC Irvine women’s basketball team (8-14, 5-5) will take a break from Big West Conference action to host Cal State Bakersfield in a non-conference contest Saturday (Feb. 6) at 5:00 p.m. at the Bren Center. The game is the first of a double-header with the men’s team also taking on the Roadrunners at 7:35 p.m.
VERSUS THE OPPONENTS: Cal State Bakersfield leads the series with UCI, 3-1. The Roadrunners have won the last three meetings including a 77-75 victory earlier this year in Bakersfield. Kim Barnes led UCI with a career-high 20 points, while freshman Jazmyne White also notch a career-best with 13 points off the bench. Junior guard Jade Smith-Williams added 15 points. Mikah Maly-Karros was not eligible when the two teams played the first time. Cal State Bakersfield's Phynique Allen led all players with 27 points followed by Katie Williams with 13 points and a team best six rebounds. Kelley Tarver had 10 points all in the first half.
The Roadrunners enter the week 13-9 overall and will host Oregon State Tuesday before coming to the Bren Center. Bakersfield is coming off a 83-81 victory over Cal Poly as Phynique Allen hit a buzzer-beater to win the game.
MALY-KARROS NAMED BIG WEST PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Sophomore Mikah Maly-Karros was named Big West Player of the Week after recording one of the best single game and weekly performances in UCI history. She started the week with a career-high 35 points, a career-high tying 17 rebounds and personal best six blocks performance at Pacific. The forward scored half of UCI’s 70 points going 12-21 from the floor and 11-13 from the free throw line. The 35 points is the most by a Big West player this season and the most by an Anteater since Angie Ned had 37 in 2005-06. Her 17 boards is also a conference best this year.
She ended the week with 28 points and 14 rebounds in just 28 minutes of action in a victory over Cal State Fullerton. For the week, Maly-Karros averaged 31.5 points, 15.5 rebounds and 3.5 blocks, while shooting .543 from the field and .893 from the charity stripe. It is her second Big West weekly honor this year.
HOME SWEET HOME: UCI is 6-5 at home this year. The Anteaters have won the last three at the Bren and have captured six of their last seven games in Irvine. The Anteaters average 62.5 points at home compared to just 59.6 on the road.
BARNES LOST FOR THE YEAR: Center Kim Barnes will miss the remainder of the season with a knee injury. She will undergo surgery this Thursday after averaging 7.3 points and 4.3 rebounds in 18 games. Barnes posted a career-high 20 points versus Cal State Bakersfield in November.
ANTEATERS NOTCH EIGHT WINS: With two victories last week, UCI improves to 8-14 overall and 5-5 in the Big West. It is the most wins since the 2005-06 team won nine contests and had seven conference victories. The Anteaters have won four of their last five outings.
MORE MALY-KARROS: Sophomore Mikah-Maly Karros leads the Big West and ranks 21st in the nation in double-doubles with nine. She leads UCI with a 18.6 scoring and 11.6 rebound average. Both her career-high 35 points and 17 rebounds are the most by a Big West player this season. Maly-Karros does not show up in the Big West overall statistics until she plays in 75% of the teams games, but she ranks second in scoring in league games only with a 18.5 mark and leads the conference in rebounding with a 12.2 average.
UCI WINS TWO LAST WEEK: UCI won two Big West games last week defeating Pacific, 70-54 on the road and Cal State Fullerton 73-65 at home.
The Anteaters averaged 71.5 points to the opponents’ 59.5 and out-rebounded the teams 41.5 to 30.0. The Anteaters recorded a season-high 17 assists and 10 blocks versus Pacific.
ON THE BOARDS: UCI has out-rebounded eight of the last 10 opponents. The Anteaters average 37.0 rebounds per game as opponents grab 38.8 caroms per game. In Big West games only, UCI ranks first in offensive rebounds, pulling down 16.70 per game.
