Weber State University Athletics
Weber State University
UC Irvine
'Cats face another road test at UC Irvine Saturday
11/13/2025 5:37:00 PM | Men's Basketball
The Wildcats and Anteaters will play at 7 p.m. Pacific time (8 MT) on ESPN+.
• Weber State concludes a three-game road trip at UC Irvine Saturday night.
• The Wildcats and Anteaters will tipopff at 7 p.m. Pacific time (8 Mountain) from the Bren Events Center in Irvine. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and the ESPN app.
There will be no Weber State radio broadcast of the game, but live stats are available at WeberStateSports.com and the Weber State Wildcats app.
• Weber State is 1-2 on the season. The Wildcats opened the season with a win over West Coast Baptist and are coming off an overtime loss at Utah and a 83-73 loss at Utah State on Wednesday.
• The Wildcats and Aggies were tied 41-41 at halftime. Weber State outrebounded USU 40-38 and knocked down eight 3-pointers. The 'Cats held the Aggies to just three 3-pointers. WSU had four players score in double figures.
• Sophomore Trevor Hennig led the 'Cats with 19 points at Utah State. He has scored in double figures in all three games and lead Weber State at 17.7 points per game.
• Nigel Burris, the only senior on this year's Wildcat team, had his third career double-double as he posted 15 points and a career-high 12 rebounds. He was also 4 of 7 from the field and a perfect 7 of 7 from the free throw line.
Weber State is one of 22 schools in the nation with one or fewer seniors on the roster this season. Burris started his career at Idaho and was named the 2023 Big Sky Freshman of the Year, then played the 2023-24 season at Utah State, before transferring to WSU prior to last season.
• Weber State returns four players that played last year and added eight new players, including four transfers. The Wildcats added Division I transfers of junior center Malek Gomma from Seattle University and junior guard Jace Whiting from UNLV and Boise State.
WSU also added Division II transfer guard Tijan Saine Jr., a transfer from Western Washington, and Edwin Suarez Jr., a junior college All-American transfer from Arizona Western.
• Weber State added four high school players in ArDarius Grayson, Anthony Moore, Duce Paschal, and Bourgeois Tshilobo.
• The Wildcats are coached by Eric Duft who returns for his fourth season as head coach and his 20th season overall at Weber State. He spent 16 seasons as an assistant coach under Randy Rahe before becoming the 10th head coach in WSU history in May 2022. Monday's game was the 100th game for coach Duft as the head coach. He has been on the coaching staff for over 600 games at Weber State, more than anyone in WSU's history.
• Associate Head Coach Dan Russell returns along with assistant coaches Jorge Ruiz and Luke Spring. WSU added Shaun Vandiver as an assistant coach.
• This summer, NBA superstar and Wildcat legend Damian Lillard was officially named the General Manager of the Weber State program. As General Manager, Lillard will work closely with the coaching staff and athletic department leadership to provide insight, mentorship, and guidance, using his experience at the collegiate and professional levels to elevate the program.
• After three games, Weber State is second in the country in rebouding, averaging 56.7 per game. The 'Cats had 78 rebounds against West Coast Baptist, the most since 1971. WSU also outrebounded Utah 52-49 and Utah State 40-38.
• WSU is also third in the country in 3-point field goal defense, allowing opponents to shoot just 15 percent from 3-point range. Utah shot 28 percent from 3-point range and Utah State was just 3 of 23 for 15 percent.
• UC Irvine is 2-1 this season heading into Saturady's game. They started the season with a 125-49 win over Bethesda, then lost at home to Cal Baptist, before a 130-63 win over Lincoln on Monday night. The Anteaters also beat Arizona State in an exhibition game and lost to #12 UCLA.
UCI was predicted to win the Big West this season in the preseason coaches poll. The Anteaters have two preseason all-conference selections in Jurian Dixon and Andre Henry.
• Last season, UC Irvine was 32-7 and won the Big West at 17-3. They lost in the championship game of the Big West Tournament. They then lost in teh championship game of the NIT.
• The Anteaters are coached by Russell Turner who is in his 16th season as head coach. He is UC Irvine's all-time leader in coaching wins with 323. He is a four-time Big West Coach of the Year and has led the Anteaters to nine posteseason appearances, including two trips to the NCAA Tournament.
• This will be the fifth ever meeting between the two schools. Weber State holds a 3-1 series lead. The 'Cats won the first three before the Anteaters won in Ogden last year. Weber State won in 1983, then beat the Anteaters in a home and home in 2011 and 2012.
This is WSU's first game in Irvine since November 2011, an 80-72 Weber State win. In that game, Damian Lillard scored 27 points with five 3-pointers and had eight rebounds and four assists for the Wildcats.
• UC Irvine won a thriller 93-87 over Weber State last November in Ogden. UC Irvine shot 51 percent from the field and dished out 20 assists. Weber State made 13 3-pointers and recorded 10 steals. Five Wildcats scored in double figures.
• Weber State returns home next week to host the Junction City Jam Tournament. The Wildcats will play Campbell on November 19, and host UT Arlington on November 22. The Junction City Jam is the first preseason home tournament Weber State has hosted since 1991.
