IRVINE, Calif. – UC Irvine opened the 2020-21 season at home with a landslide, 135-55, victory over Bethesda, Saturday night at the Bren Events Center.

UCI set new school records in the most points ever scored (135), the largest margin of victory (80), field goals made (56) and assists (31). The Anteaters 80-point victory is also the most in Big West history. UCI also tied a Bren Events Center record with 70 first half points and set a Bren record in field goal percentage (.691).

The Anteaters improve to 1-2 on the season while Bethesda falls to 0-3.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
> Seven Anteaters scored in double-digits with Austin Johnson leading the way with 20 points. He picked up his first career double-double, grabbing a career-high 16 rebounds. Johnson was a perfect 9-9 shooting from the floor
> Freshman DJ Davis finished with a career-high 18 points and added five assists, his teammate Andre Henry added 17 points and five assists while sophomore JC Butler had a career-high 14 point performance
> Jeron Artest finished with a career-high 13 points while Collin Welp added 12
> Emmanuel Tshimanga had his first career double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds
> UCI outrebounded Bethesda 64-14, outscored the Flames 28-8 in points off turnovers and bench points (86-29). The 'Eaters also held advantages in paint points (88-18), second chance points (25-6) and fast break points (25-2)
> Bethesda's Gabriel Bazile led the Flames with 15 points

FIRST HALF
>Welp had four points as UCI started with a 6-2 lead at 17:31
>Artest knocked down his second three-pointer expanding the lead to 15-7 at 15:11
>Bethesda would go on a 7-4 spurt to close to 23-17 at 12:14
>The Anteaters responded with nine unanswered, which included four points from Butler and three from Brad Greene, 32-17 (10:37)
>Johnson scored 12 points in a 28-0 run by UCI that was finally snapped on a jumper by Chris Murray at 1:30 as the margin grew to 68-31
>Johnson would record the final basket of the half, giving UCI the 70-30 advantage at the break
>UCI matched the Bren Center record for points in a first half which was last recorded in 1991 versus Utah State  

SECOND HALF
>A 12-3 run by UCI, five by Artest, gave the Anteaters the 84-36 advantage at 16:08
>At 12:47, Jayce Catchings recorded his first collegiate bucket, 90-42
>Davis had nine points and Henry totaled six points as UCI out-scored Bethesda 23-0 take a 115-46 lead with 5:28 left
>Ofure Ujadughele took a pass from Tshimanga and drove to the hoop and laid it in at 3:18 to set a new Bren Center record for most points, 121-51
> Ujadughele would then score to help the Anteater set the most points in program history 127-52 at 1:44
>Davis would hit a fall-away three-pointer with 10 seconds remaining to end the historic night of scoring,  135-55

Notes: Jayce Catchings, Ofure Ujadughele and Hunter Ruck all scored their first career points … UCI won its home opener for the fourth year in a row … Tonight was the first-ever meeting between UCI and Bethesda

JC Butler Quotes

On the home opener without fans 
"It is definitely different, but we've been having practice here in a similar set up so we've gotten used to it and can find a way to generate energy without fans." 

On knowing what the school record was
"We didn't have any idea until we did break it then they told us. Right when we scored the bucket to set the record."