IRVINE, Calif. --- UC Irvine used a balanced scoring attack to defeat UC Riverside, 69-53, Saturday evening at the Bren Events Center.
 
UCI (11-8) improves to 3-0 in conference play, and has now won 16 consecutive Big West games. The Anteaters are also the only undefeated team remaining in the Big West Conference.
 
UC Riverside falls to 2-2 in conference and 12-8 for the season.
 
The Anteaters had six players score more than eight points on the night, and shot 57.1% from the field. Defensively, UC Irvine held the Highlanders to a season-low 28.3% shooting percentage, and just 22.2% from three-point range.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
> Evan Leonard paced the 'Eaters with 13 points, shooting 57.1 percent from the field and going 4-4 from the line.
> John Edgar Jr. added five rebounds and three steals to along with nine points
> Brad Greene also finished in double-figures with 11 points
> Eyassu Worku dished out five assists while Isaiah Lee grabbed six boards
> UCI was out-rebounded (36-33) for just the third time this season.
> The Highlanders held a strong advantage in second chance points, 16-7, but UCI's bench outscored UCR, 26-16
> Dikymbe Martin led the Highlanders with ten points, while Angus McWilliam pitched in nine points and eight rebounds.
 
First Half
>Tommy Rutherford scored five early points to help the 'Eaters get out to a 7-0 lead with 18:28 remaining.
>A three pointer from Arinze Chidom cut the Anteaters edge 12-11 at 13:10.
>Greene hit his first three of his career, helping UCI go on a 9-0 run and build a 12-point cushion, 25-13, at 8:42.
>After a couple of Highlander free throws, the Anteaters used a pair of buckets from Jeron Artest (8:09, 6:57) and jumpers from Worku (6:33) and Welp (5:53) to extend their advantage to 33-16.
>Welp scored each of the Anteater's final seven points to help UCI take a 38-22 lead to the half.
>UCI held the Highlanders to just 22 points, their lowest in any first half this season.
 
Second Half
>Following a bucket from Leonard that put the 'Eaters up 17, the Highlanders used an 8-0 run to cut the deficit to nine, 42-33 (15:15).
>Seven straight points from Edgar Jr. pushed the Anteaters lead back to 15 points, 49-34, with 13:21 to play.
>A three from Dikymbe Martin and back-to-back layups by Callum McRae would bring the Highlanders back within eight points, 49-41, at 11:10.
>A technical foul committed by the Highlanders turned the momentum back to the 'Eaters, who promptly scored seven straight points to regain their 15 point advantage, 62-47 (4:15).
>The Anteaters defense locked down in the final minutes to clinch the 69-53 victory for the 'Eaters
 
NOTES
 
>The Anteaters move to 12-0 against UC Riverside since Mar 2015.
>Evan Leonard led the 'Eaters in scoring for the third time this season.
>The Anteaters had a season high eight blocks
 
UP NEXT
> UCI plays at Long Beach State Wednesday, Jan. 22 at 7 p.m.