The UC Irvine Anteaters will be at Titan Gym to play the Cal State Fullerton Titans in a Big West matchup. Action begins at 10:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Feb. 17 and can be seen on ES3.
The Titans were beaten by Hawaii 76-59 on Sunday. Tre’ Coggins finished with 18 points to lead the game. The Anteaters, meanwhile, are coming off a 93-84 win over Cal State Northridge on Saturday. Alex Young was the game’s top scorer, recording 36 points on 14-for-19 shooting.
The top-notch UC Irvine defense should have a clear edge in terms of eFG%. It ranks ninth in the nation in forcing misses (opponents’ eFG% of 43.8%), while the brick-laying Cal State Fullerton offense is 308th with a mark of 46.5%.
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Anteaters won the first game 72-59. Jaron Martin was a standout player in the game, producing 22 points, six rebounds, one assist, and six three-pointers.
The Titans have gone 9-15 Straight Up (SU) and 8-13 Against The Spread (ATS). The Titans are a high-volume shooting team from the line with 18.0 free throws made per game, one of the highest marks in Division I. Cal State Fullerton’s defense has put it all together in the past 10 games. Its average points allowed per game dropped to 65.7 during that span, compared to its 73.1 season average.
On the other side, the Anteaters have records of 11-12-1 ATS and 19-7 SU. Most recently, UC Irvine is a meager 3-7 ATS over the last 10 games. The Anteaters are one of the top defensive teams in the nation, essentially shutting down opponents to the tune of 65.0 points allowed per game. UC Irvine’s defense is one of the top in the nation, with opponents shooting only .381 from the field. Blocking shots is an area where UC Irvine has excelled. The Anteaters average 5.5 blocks per game, making them one of the best in the nation.
UC Irvine won the last meeting this season between these two teams, bumping its SU record over their most recent meetings to 8-2. The Anteaters also lead the matchup ATS with a record of 6-3-1. When it comes to field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers, UC Irvine held the edge in all three of these categories two times in the last five meetings. Cal State Fullerton never did so in those games.
Predictions: SU Winner – UC-Irv, ATS Winner – UC-Irv
Notes
Cal State Fullerton averages 71.4 points per game, placing the team just 168th in the nation. UC Irvine ranks 31st in points allowed, giving up 65.0 points per game.
The UC Irvine Anteaters have a defensive rating of 97.0 (ranked 46th), while the Cal State Fullerton Titans have an offensive rating of 101.6 (ranked 255th).
The Cal State Fullerton Titans average a field goal percentage of 40.8% this season. The UC Irvine Anteaters have a losing record of 4-7 when opponents have a FG% of 40.8% or greater.
The Cal State Fullerton Titans rank lower for their field goal percentage (314th) than they do for their effective field goal percentage (308th), but the UC Irvine Anteaters have a better FG% ranking (150th) than eFG% ranking (194th).
UC Irvine, the 16th-ranked team in blocked shots, registers an average of 5.5 per game. Cal State Fullerton ranks lower at 344th with 1.7.
The Cal State Fullerton Titans make an average of 5.4 steals per game. When the UC Irvine Anteaters allow 5 or more steals, they are a winning 11-5.
