Offense Ignites in 112-65 Win Over Whittier

Wednesday, November 29

Irvine, CA

7:00 PM

UC Irvine

4-5

112

Whittier

1-4

Team	1	2	F
Whittier College	33	32	65
UC Irvine	49	63	112

darrian-traylor-uci-mbb-2017-2018-whittier

Offense Ignites in 112-65 Win Over Whittier

November 29, 2017 | Men's Basketball

Box Score

By: Alex Croteau

IRVINE, Calif. --- UC Irvine men's basketball returned home and unloaded a 112-65 victory on Whittier College Wednesday night in the Bren Events Center.

The point total was the most scored by the 'Eaters since 2012 when head coach Russell Turner's squad put 116 on Pacifica College in a 116-47 win, and much like that win, UC Irvine (4-5) also had six players with at least 10 points.

This marks the sixth time under coach Turner the 'Eaters have hit the century, and the 112 are the second-most points by a Turner-coached squad. In the program's history, it's only reached a higher point total 11 times and nine times at home in a span of over 1,500 games all-time by the Anteaters.

As mentioned by the six players in double figures, the offense was distributed evenly amongst the 'Eaters with Evan Leonard and Tommy Rutherford sharing the leading scorer duties each with 16.

Eyassu Worku made six of seven shots to match a season-high with 14 points, and he also set a new career high seven assists to lead all players. Darrian Traylor matched a career high of his own 11 points hitting all three 3s he put up while Teo Davidian set a new personal best with seven points knocking down his first career three.

Whittier (1-4) wasn't going to roll over early chasing UCI down from a 14-point deficit to close to eight points late in the first half supported by a season-high 12 points out of Joey Toyama. The Poets kept the pressure on with a lightning-quick pace to start the second half as Nick Potthoff and Victor Nwaba, who each also finished with double figures, helped WC score on five consecutive possessions in what was still a 14-point game.

The Anteaters found their rhythm in the form of a 30-2 run over a 10-minute span to stretch the lead out to past 40 points to the eventual 112-65 final.

UCI shot 64% in the second half and 62.1% for the game helped by 11 three-pointers and 12 assists. Elston Jones had one of the 'Eaters' three blocks as he made his first career start for UC Irvine and finished as the leading rebounder with 11, all on the defensive end, to help UCI to a 54-29 rebounding advantage.

The results puts the Anteaters on a good path toward a massive test at home on Saturday, Dec. 2, with a 7:00 p.m. start against a 7-0 Nevada Wolf Pack squad that is receiving votes in the national polls.