UC Irvine Women Play Home Opener Today

After a 17-point loss at Pepperdine and a split of two games at the Southern Methodist tournament, the UC Irvine women’s basketball team opens its home season at 4 p.m. today at the Bren Center against Cal State Northridge in a first-round game of the Disneyland Freedom Bowl Classic.

The Matadors are 0-5, including a 77-55 loss to Pepperdine on Tuesday. Northridge has already lost two players indefinitely because of torn anterior cruciate ligament injuries--forward Bridgette Ealy, the school’s fifth all-time leading scorer, and guard Lisa Senette.

Irvine guard Karie Yoshioka, who came off the bench to score a career-high 19 points in a 92-67 loss to Kent on Friday, is expected to miss the tournament because of the flu.

Idaho (4-1) and Texas Christian (1-1) meet in the first game at 2 p.m. The third-place game will be at 1 p.m. Saturday, with the championship game at 3 p.m.