YPSILANTI, Mich. – Robert Cartwright hit what would ultimately be the game winning 3-pointer with 11 seconds left on the clock to help lift the UC Irvine men's basketball team over Eastern Michigan, 52-48, at the Convocation Center Wednesday night.

UCI improves to 11-2 on the season, its best start since 2000-01, while EMU falls to 5-6 overall.

The Anteaters used a great defensive effort to seal the win, out-rebounding the Eagles 47-26 and forcing 12 turnovers.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
> Max Hazzard had a team-high 14 points on 6-13 shooting from the field
> Collin Welp finished with his first career double-double tallying 11 points and 10 rebounds
> Evan Leonard also finished in double-digits with 10 points while Elston Jones grabbed 10 boards
> As a team, the 'Eaters shot 33.9 percent (21-62) from the field and 26.1 (6-23) percent from long range. UCI held EMU to just 34.7 percent (17-49) overall
> UCI held advantages is points in the paint (26-12) and second chance points (19-3)
> EMU was led by Elijah Minnie with 15 points. James Thompson and Boubacar Toure had seven rebounds each for the Eagles

First Half
> Max Hazzard put the 'Eaters on the board with a three-pointer as UCI gained an early 8-2 lead
> The Anteaters went on a 7-0 run to take their largest lead of the half, 15-6, with 11:14 remaining
> EMU answered with an 8-2 run to knot the game, 19-19 (4:21)
> Evan Leonard hit a three-pointer followed by a layup from Welp to put the 'Eaters up, 24-22, at 3:09
> The Eagles scored five-straight to close out the half and take a 27-24 lead into the locker rooms
> UCI suffered 10 turnovers in the frame and shot 32.3 percent (10-31) from the floor
> Welp had a team-best nine points and five rebounds

Second Half
> The Eagles went on a 7-2 run to open the frame taking a 34-26 lead (15:30)
> Back-to-back layups from Elston Jones initiated a 16-0 run over a nine minute span to put UCI up 42-34 with 7:03 to play. Hazzard made a three-pointer in that stretch (10:08) that gave the Anteaters a lead they would not relinquish
> EMU answered with six-straight points to make it a two-point game, 42-40 (3:33)
> The teams exchanged back-and-forth buckets as EMU pulled within one, 46-45, with 1:34 remaining
> Cartwright's three-pointer gave UCI a five-point, 50-4,5 lead with 11 seconds remaining. EMU's Kevin Mcadoo hit a three to make it 50-48 with five seconds on the clock but the 'Eaters held on to earn the 52-48 win

HEAD COACH RUSSELL TURNER ON TONIGHT'S WIN
"We were terrific defensively and on the glass and sometimes you can win that way. We believe that defensive rebounding can win and tonight it did that. The way we out-rebounded EMU showed our teams intensity and will to win and I am very pleased with that."

NOTES
> UCI won its 10th-straight road game, marking the second-longest active road streak in the country. Virginia holds the top spot with 11 wins
> 48 points scored by an opponent is the fewest allowed by the Anteaters all season
> UCI is 7-0 this season when holding opponents to 60 points or fewer
> Hazzard led the team in scoring for the second-straight game
> UCI tied its lowest total first half points of the season, the 'Eaters also scored 24 in the first half against Santa Clara (Nov. 15)