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UC Irvine, co-champions of The Big West regular season, will represent the conference in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) and will get a first-round road matchup against No. 1 seed Oregon at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Ore. on Wednesday, March 15 at 8 p.m. PT. The game will be broadcasted on ESPN2.
 
Traditionally featuring the best teams in the country outside of the NCAA Tournament, UC Irvine (23-11) earned the league’s automatic bid due winning a share of the regular season title with a 15-5 conference record and being the top seed in the conference championship. The Anteaters fell to Cal State Fullerton in the semifinals of the 2023 Hercules Tires Big West Basketball Championships, presented by the Hawaiian Islands.

The Anteaters and Oregon (19-14) have already matched up earlier this season in November, in what was each team’s second regular season game.  UC Irvine defeated the then-No. 21 Ducks 69-56. DJ Davis scored a game-high 24 points, hitting six 3-pointers, and dished out three assists. The Anteaters are 3-7 all-time against the Ducks.
 
It is the Anteaters’ seventh appearance in the postseason NIT, third under 13th-year head coach Russell Turner. UC Irvine last played in the NIT in the 2016-17 season and fell in the first round to Illinois State, 85-71.