‘Eaters Earn No. 13 Seed, Draw Gonzaga in NCAA First Round
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On Saturday, March 16, UCI defeated UC Davis, 53-39, to win the second Big West Championship in program history, and first in 29 years. Déja Lee was named the MVP, while Moulayna Johnson Sidi Baba received an all-tournament nod. Lee was also the first Anteater to win Big West Player of the Year honors.
This is UC Irvine’s third-straight national tournament bid, but first NCAA trip since 1995, when it traveled to Stanford for a first-round match-up. The ‘Eaters made the WNIT in each of the last two seasons, advancing to the second round in 2023.
Gonzaga (30-3), which is ranked 14th in the latest AP Poll, went unbeaten in West Coast Conference play before falling to Portland in the championship game of the WCC tournament. Yvonne Ejim, who is averaging 19.8 points and 8.5 rebounds, was named the WCC Player of the Year.
UC Irvine and Gonzaga have met three times with the Bulldogs holding a 2-1 edge in the all-time series. Gonzaga broke the 1-1 tie with a win in the last meeting on Nov. 13, 2016, in Spokane.
The winner of UCI-Gonzaga will advance to the second round to face No. 5 Utah or No. 12 South Dakota State on Monday, March 25.
IRVINE, Calif. –
UC Irvine women’s basketball (23-8) earned a No. 13 seed and will travel to Spokane, Washington, to face fourth-seeded Gonzaga in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday, March 23. Tip-off is set for 4:30 p.m. at McCarthey Athletic Center.On Saturday, March 16, UCI defeated UC Davis, 53-39, to win the second Big West Championship in program history, and first in 29 years. Déja Lee was named the MVP, while Moulayna Johnson Sidi Baba received an all-tournament nod. Lee was also the first Anteater to win Big West Player of the Year honors.
This is UC Irvine’s third-straight national tournament bid, but first NCAA trip since 1995, when it traveled to Stanford for a first-round match-up. The ‘Eaters made the WNIT in each of the last two seasons, advancing to the second round in 2023.
Gonzaga (30-3), which is ranked 14th in the latest AP Poll, went unbeaten in West Coast Conference play before falling to Portland in the championship game of the WCC tournament. Yvonne Ejim, who is averaging 19.8 points and 8.5 rebounds, was named the WCC Player of the Year.
UC Irvine and Gonzaga have met three times with the Bulldogs holding a 2-1 edge in the all-time series. Gonzaga broke the 1-1 tie with a win in the last meeting on Nov. 13, 2016, in Spokane.
The winner of UCI-Gonzaga will advance to the second round to face No. 5 Utah or No. 12 South Dakota State on Monday, March 25.
