Men’s Basketball Preview: UC Irvine vs. Boston University

UCI Pregame

vs. Boston University

Saturday, 5:30 p.m. at Bren Events Center

The Anteaters (3-2) have won three straight and will play the second of their three games in three days as part of the 2K Sports Classic Irvine Subregional.

The visiting Terriers (2-2) were defeated by Eastern Washington, 80-68, in the first game of the event on Friday.

Will Davis, a 6-foot-8 junior forward and the reigning Big West Conference Player of the Week, entered Friday’s game topping UCI at 14.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per contest.

The other four starters entered Friday averaging between nine and 12.5 points per game for the ‘Eaters, who were shooting 54.9% as a team and shot at least 50% from the field in their first four contests. They shot 55% from the field in their 84-64 win over LUI Brooklyn and continues to shoot 54.9% from the field for the season

Mamadou Ndiaye, a 7-6 freshman center, entered Friday averaging nine points, 5.8 rebounds and three blocks per game and set a conference record with nine blocks in a win Nov. 14 at Washington. He was five for five from the field and had 12 points Friday to go with five rebounds and three blocks.

UCI entered Friday averaging 93 points per game as a team and had posted an average rebounding advantage of 40.2 to 34.8. They bested LIU Brooklyn, 44-29, on the glass.

BU led No. 19-ranked UConn by a point early in the second half, before falling, 77-60, to the Huskies on Sunday. Coach Joe Jones’ Terriers defeated Northeastern and UMass-Lowell to begin the season 2-0.

Dom Morris, a 6-7 senior forward, entered Friday’s game shooting 64.5% from the field and averaging 17.3 points and 7.7 rebounds per game to lead BU.

Maurice Watson, a 5-10 senior guard, entered Friday averaging 15.7 points and six assists, while shooting 57.9% from the field.

And senior guard D.J. Irvine, the preseason Patriot League Player of the Year, entered Friday averaging 10 points per game and had nine against Eastern Washington.

UCI will close out the event on Sunday against Eastern Washington at 4 p.m.

— Barry Faulkner