Box Score HONOLULU, Hawaii – UC Irvine could not contain a hot Hawaii offense as the Rainbow Warriors beat the Anteaters 72-56 at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.

Hawaii improved to 2-0 in Big West play on the strength of 11-25 from three-point range and shooting 42.6 percent (26-61) from the floor overall. The Rainbow Warriors, who are 6-5 overall, were also 9-12 from the free throw line (75%).

UCI (6-5, 1-1) shot 32.1 percent from the floor (17-53), hitting just 4-17 from long range. The Anteaters were 18-25 from the stripe. UCI had a season-low five assists.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
>Reigning Big West Player of the Week Collin Welp topped UCI with 11 points and eight rebounds
>Guard Dawson Baker returned to the lineup and added 10 points, including two three-pointers
>Isaiah Lee, Bent Leuchten and Andre Henry each totaled six points
>Hawaii's Noel Coleman, who entered the game third nationally in three-point percentage, topped the Rainbow Warriors with 16, knocking down 4-7 from beyond the arc
>Bernardo Da Silva matched Coleman in points and led Hawaii with 12 rebounds. Jerome Desrosiers also had a double-double with 13 points and 10 boards. Javon McClanahan rounded out the double-digit performers with 12
>Hawaii out-rebounded UCI 39-36 and recorded 18 assists

FIRST HALF
>UCI jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead on baskets by JC Butler (19:10) and Isaiah Lee (18:27)
>UH would answer with the next seven points, 7-4 at 14:58
>Bent Leuchten would score four points in three minutes of action to keep UCI close 12-10 (12:55)
>Hawaii would go on a 7-0 run until a Justin Hohn jumper stopped the momentum, 19-12 (10:35)
>Following a pair of Austin Johnson free throws, UH scored five more to open a 24-14 lead at
 8:08
>A three-pointer by JC Butler was followed by a long jumper by Welp to cut into the Hawaii lead, 26-21 at 5:18
>A pair of threes by the Rainbow Warriors would give UH a 32-24 advantage at 1:27
>The teams would trade baskets to end the half with Hawaii going into the locker room with a 34-26 lead
>Hawaii shot 46.4 (13-28), including 6-11 from beyond the arc (54.5), while UCI was 2-9 (22.2%) from three, shooting 35.7 percent (10-28) overall from the floor
>The Rainbow Warriors out-scored UCI 12-2 on fast break points in the first 20 minutes

SECOND HALF
>Hawaii came out of the break with the first five points, 39-26 at 18:18
>Welp would be UCI's only offense with a pair of jumpers, the last at 16:54 to cut the deficit to 10 (40-30)
>The Rainbow Warriors would go on an 8-1 run to open a 48-34 lead at 12:41
>After a DJ Davis three -pointer at 12:14, Hawaii poured in the next seven to force an Anteater timeout at 10:45, 55-34
>A Davis free throw, three-pointer by Dawson Baker and a dunk and free throw by Austin Johnson ignited UCI at 8:29 (55-41) only to watch Noel Coleman drain back-to-back three-pointers at 7:50, 61-41
>A layup by Baker, two free throws by Lee and a basket and made free throw by Andre Henry accounted for the Anteaters' seven straight ending at 4:12 (66-49)
>UCI would score six of the final seven points, all free throws in the final 2:36 minutes of action

UCI HEAD COACH RUSSELL TURNER SAID
"I give credit to Hawaii. They played well and beat us the way we normally beat teams. They were outstanding defensively, committed to the things they wanted to do, were physical and knocked us around and hurt us on the interior. Congratulations to them they earned this win. Our team was not ready enough to play at the level Hawaii was tonight."
 
NOTES
>UCI has scored 56 or fewer points in four of its five losses this season
>The 'Bows 72 points is the second most given up by the Anteaters this season (76 at Duquesne)
>Welp surpassed 1,300 point plateau, recording 1,309 in his career
>The Anteaters are 2-5 away from the Bren this season

UP NEXT
>UCI returns home to host cross-county rival Cal State Fullerton Thursday (Jan. 20) at 7:00 p.m. at the Bren Events Center. Bren Center Attendance policy.