California Baptist University
UC Irvine
WBB Preview: CBU Heads to the OC to take on UC Irvine on Saturday Afternoon
12/11/2025 12:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
RIVERSIDE--- The California Baptist University women's basketball team will have just one team on the schedule for this week as they head to Irvine, California, to face the UCI Anteaters on Saturday afternoon.
The Lancers enter the week 6-3 after a pair of tight road losses last week at Pepperdine and Boise State. The Lancers made comeback attempts in both games but would ultimately fall 69-58 to Pepperdine and 82-80 to Boise State.
This will be just the third all-time meeting between the Anteaters and Lancers, with the last matchup occurring in 2021. It will be one of seven games this season against future Big West competition for the Lancers, with CBU currently posting a 4-1 record against such opponents. CBU has never lost to UCI in its brief history against one another, holding a 2-0 record. The last time the two teams met was in 2021, when CBU would hold off the Anteaters 93-88 in overtime at the Fowler Events Center.
This season, UCI is off to a great start, boasting an 8-2 record and having won its last seven games. The Anteaters are a perfect 4-0 at home and have begun Big West play at 2-0. UCI has wins over Colgate, Northern Arizona, San Diego, and St. Thomas, and its only two losses came on the road against Arizona and Idaho State. A significant part of UCI's early-season success has been its free-throw shooting, with the Anteaters ranking 6th in the NCAA in percentage at 82% and 13th in makes per game with nearly 18. UCI is also a top 40 defensive team, ranking 27th in opposing field goal percentage and 39th in scoring defense. UCI has two players averaging double figures, led by Hunter Hernandez, who is averaging nearly 16 points per game and was named Big West Player of the Week for her solid play to open conference action last week.
The Lancers bring a top-rated defense to the matchup, currently ranking 19th in the NCAA in field goal percentage defense (33.9%) and ninth in blocks (6.6). A large part of CBU's defensive prowess has been the play of senior forward Emma Johansson, who is in the top five in the country in blocks and blocks per game. Another reason has been the return of Filipa Barros to the lineup after missing almost all of last season with an ankle injury. Barros is second among guards in rebounding this season and is one of 11 players to record a triple-double. Barros is also 16th in the nation in assists per game and has recorded four double-doubles this season.
MATCHUP INFO:
WHEN: Saturday, December 13 at 2 PM
WHERE: Irvine, CA- Bren Events Center
WATCH: ESPN+
