IRVINE, Calif. – Several career-highs helped UC Irvine defeat Occidental 111-51 at the Bren Events Center Friday night.

Guard Andre Henry poured in a career-best 24 points to lead all players. The junior went 10-14 from the field, including 3-4 from long range. He also added a career-high six assists, career-best five steals and five rebounds. 

Forward Hayden Welling was a perfect 9-9 from the field for a career-high 18 points, while forward Ofure Ujadughele went 8-11 from the floor, including a three-pointer for a career-best 17 points. The redshirt senior led the team with eight rebounds, also a career high. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
>Langston Redfield had a career-best seven points and seven rebounds
>Derin Saran tied his best scoring effort of his career with 10 points on 5-8 shooting
>Dylan Thoerner tied his career best steals of three in 21 minutes on the floor
>Dean Keeler posted 11 points, five rebounds and a career-high three blocks
>Pierre Crockrell II dished out a team high six assists and recorded three steals
>The Anteaters shot 61.5 percent (48-78) from the floor and 77.8 percent from the line (7-9)
>Occidental was led by Jacob Koretz with 12 points and Nicky Clotfelter added 10

FROM HEAD COACH RUSSELL TURNER
"We did what we were supposed to do tonight for the most part. I thought that we played unselfishly and defensively we overwhelmed their guys which I though we would do if our intensity was right at this stage of the season. It was a different emotional feeling than playing the game at USC, but I thought our guys responded well."

"We had a couple great performances. Hayden, Ofure, and Andre gained some confidence off that and I thought it was important that Dean Keeler be in there and get some things to go his way again because he is so important to us. All these guys are going to have the opportunity to be difference makers in the next week for us in Henderson."

FROM HAYDEN WELLING
"I think that it opens doors for me to extend my range as well as work inside. I work a lot on my mid-range, it is one of my go-to spots. I like starting there and then taking the game from there on. In practice we worked a lot on having the advantage in the paint and going right to it. Be patient and go to your best move is what coach said to us and we executed it. I just happened to have the looks I wanted to tonight."

"It has been a great week. This is one of those games that could be difficult after coming off a big win at USC and then coming into a non-Division I opponent because these are the ones you really need to focus on and execute as they can be the ones to come up and get you."

FIRST HALF
>After Occidental scored the opening basket, UCI went on a 14-0 run with five different players scoring led by Andre Henry's five, 14-2 (14:39).
> Ofure Ujadughele exploded for seven straight, a jumper (9:30), layup down the lane (9:06) and three-pointer (8:42), 34-12
>Occidental would score the final five points of the half as UCI would go into the locker room with a 54-23 lead 

SECOND HALF
>Henry had the first six points in an 8-0 spurt to put UCI up 64-27 (16:51)
>Langston Redfield had back-to-back layups to start a 13-0 spurt that ended with Dean Keeler free throw at 12:07, 79-31 advantage
>UCI put up ten in a row, four by Keeler and four by Justin Hohn increased the lead to 94-40 (6:32)
>The Anteaters closed out the game out-scoring the Tigers 15-6, 111-51 

NOTES
>Henry is the first Anteater to post five or more steals in a contest since Evan Leonard did it in Feb. 2018 at UC Riverside
>The last time UC Irvine scored 100 or more points was in last season's victory over LIFE Pacific, 116-54 (11/21/22)
>The Anteaters were two dimes shy of tying the school record of assists in a game (31)
>Five players had double figure scoring games, the first since the Dec. 31, 2022 outing at Cal State Bakersfield

UP NEXT
UC Irvine heads to the Ball Dawgs Classic Nov. 21-22, 24 at the Dollar Loan Center. The Anteaters will face Pepperdine in the first contest at 5:45 p.m. Tuesday.