The UC Irvine Anteaters face off against the Columbia Lions in the fifth round of the CIT tournament at Francis S. Levien Gymnasium. Action begins at 7:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Mar. 29 and will air on CCS.
The Lions enter this game hoping for similar success after defeating NJIT 80-65 in the 4. Maodo Lo was the game’s high scorer with 29 points on 11-for-18 shooting. The Anteaters, meanwhile, are coming off a 66-47 win against Coastal Carolina in the 4. Luke Nelson shot 6-for-14 and led in scoring with 15 points.
Lo has taken his game to another level recently for the Lions, averaging 20.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.8 steals, 0.5 blocks, and 3.5 three-pointers over the last five games.
Points could be at a premium in this matchup between two of the nation’s best defenses. Columbia ranks 14th in the nation in defensive efficiency (102.7), while UC Irvine is fourth (97.7). Also, the Anteaters commit the 11th-fewest errors in the nation (TO% of 18.3%), while the gambling defense of the Lions causes the fifth-most (opponents’ TO% of 19.7%).
The Lions have gone 24-10 Straight Up (SU) and 12-12-1 Against The Spread (ATS). Columbia is one of the most disciplined teams in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.39. Crossing over to the defensive end of the court, the Lions have limited opponents’ efforts from beyond the arc, allowing 7.0 three-pointers made per game.
In the other locker room, the Anteaters head into the game with records of 18-16-1 ATS and 28-9 SU. Offensively, the Anteaters have really picked up the pace in the last 10 games. They have exceeded their season average of 71.3 points per game by averaging 77.8 during that stretch. Shifting to the other side of the court, the Anteaters allow just 67.1 points per road game, ranking them 27th in the nation.
Columbia and UC Irvine will be facing off for their first head-to-head game in recent seasons.
Predictions: SU Winner – Colum, ATS Winner – Colum
Notes
UC Irvine averages 71.3 points per game, placing the team just 171st in the nation. Columbia ranks 77th in points allowed, giving up 68.6 points per game.
UC Irvine scores just 68.5 points per away game (ranked 160th). Columbia ranks 85th in points allowed at home, giving up 66.2 points.
The UC Irvine Anteaters have a defensive rating of 97.7, fourth-best in the country. The Columbia Lions have a top-tier offense with an offensive rating of 115.2 (ranked 19th).
The UC Irvine Anteaters average 67.2 possessions per game and 1.061 points per possession. The Columbia Lions earn fewer possessions with 64.4, but they score more points with 1.152.
Columbia has an average effective field goal percentage of 53.9%. UC Irvine is an even 3-3 when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
The Columbia Lions average 24.0 three point attempts per game, and the UC Irvine Anteaters attempt 17.0 per game. When going for at least 20 three pointers in a game this season, both teams have winning records; Columbia is 20-9 and UC Irvine is 6-2.
Columbia ranks 35th in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.39, while UC Irvine ranks 86th with an A/TO of 1.21.
Columbia ranks 205th in offensive rebounds, while UC Irvine ranks 34th in defensive rebounds.
Though Columbia is one of the best in the country in forcing turnovers with opponents averaging a TO% of 19.7% (ranked fifth), UC Irvine has a solid 11-6 record SU when its TO% is 19.7% or greater.
