LOS ANGELES (Interstat) — UC Irvine will visit UCLA in a women’s NCAA Division I basketball game on Thursday at Pauley Pavilion. The Anteaters enter at 0-0, while the Bruins are 1-0 after opening the season with a 73-53 home win over Lehigh. UC Irvine most recently fell at San Diego State 61-55.

UCLA guard Donovyn Hunter is a player to watch. In the Bruins’ opener against Lehigh, Hunter finished with 14 points, three rebounds, four assists and two blocks in 29 minutes. Sienna Betts added 15 points and seven rebounds in 23 minutes, and Addy Brown contributed nine points, six rebounds and three assists in 24 minutes. The Bruins’ scoring balance and frontcourt production were on display in the opening victory.

UC Irvine will play its first game of the season after the 61-55 loss at San Diego State in its most recent outing. The Anteaters will look to keep pace on the road against a UCLA team that already has a game behind it. UC Irvine’s defense and rebounding will be tested by the Bruins’ size and depth, while UCLA will aim to protect its home court and build on its opening performance.

The game at Pauley Pavilion gives UCLA another home date before its schedule continues, and it provides UC Irvine an early opportunity to measure itself against a power-conference opponent. The Anteaters will need to control turnovers and limit second-chance points to stay close. UCLA will try to use its balanced attack and home-crowd advantage to maintain control. Hunter’s all-around play remains a central part of the Bruins’ approach, and Betts and Brown give UCLA additional options inside and on the perimeter.

UC Irvine’s schedule continues with nonconference games later in the month, while UCLA has several notable matchups ahead. The Bruins will focus on avoiding a letdown after their opener, and the Anteaters will seek a strong start to their season. The matchup offers both teams a chance to establish early-season rhythm and evaluate rotations before the schedule intensifies.

UC Irvine’s upcoming slate includes road games at Northern Arizona, Eastern Washington, San Diego, UC Riverside and UC San Diego, along with home dates against Idaho State, Jacksonville State, Utah State and UTEP. UCLA’s upcoming schedule includes home games against Arizona, Princeton, Cal Poly, Penn, Cal State Bakersfield and Duke, plus road games at Tennessee, Saint John’s, Oregon and South Carolina.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a final score of UCLA 74, UC Irvine 70.