IRVINE, Calif. – UC Irvine scored the final nine points in a 75-67 victory over Cal State Fullerton at the Bren Events Center on Thursday. 

After taking a 67-66 lead with 2:34 remaining, the Titans would miss their final 10 shots and watch the Anteaters go five of six from the free throw line and get two big baskets by Pierre Crockrell II to improve to 3-0 in the Big West and 10-5 overall. 

UCI shot 26-51 (0.510) from the floor overall and 16-22 (0.727) from the line while Cal State Fullerton (8-7, 1-2) went 20-23 (0.870) from the charity stripe and just 20-55 (0.364) from the field. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
> Guards Justin Hohn and Derin Saran led UCI with 17 points each
> Hohn was 6-11 from the floor and had three of UCI's seven three-pointers
> Saran went 7-12 from the floor and 2-3 from long range in 18 minutes of action
> Guard Pierre Crockrell II was 6-8 from the floor for 12 points to go with four rebounds and two assists
> Center Bent Leuchten was 7-8 from the line, ending with 10 points and four rebounds
> Forward Devin Tillis had eight points and shared the team lead in rebounds with Carter Welling at five
> UCI dominated with 28-16 points in the paint
> Cal State Fullerton was led by Dominic Brewton who recorded 19 points on 6-13 shooting from the floor and 6-8 from the line while grabbing a game best eight rebounds

FROM HEAD COACH RUSSELL TURNER
"It was frustrating to see our intensity drop the way that I thought that it did throughout the second half as they made their run. I give Cal State Fullerton credit for their belief and credit to their head coach and their program. We have seen this before from them and I didn't think we responded as well as they were cutting lead. We made the plays at the end and I thought it was important that they did. Pierre (Crockrell II) was huge with the jumpers that he took. His competitive level I felt like was high pretty much the whole game. We have a lot of guys who can contribute and a lot of guys who can make plays. We had a bunch of shots that we settled for like the three-point shots in the second half as they were coming back on us. I didn't think we were good at asserting our size, dominance, and advantage coming into this game for maybe the second or third straight game."

"Bent (Leuchten) is a difference maker and we know that. I needed to play him back a little bit and that is what I have been doing. I thought the three-pointer that he made right before halftime was big for him and us. We know he can make that shot and it was really encouraging to see him shoot with that type of confidence."

FROM JUSTIN HOHN
"I think whatever one of us can get started making shots and it fuels our defense which then generates our offense. We knew that we could not let this game go. Cal Sate Fullerton has had our number the last couple years and eliminated us from our postseason goal last year. Just a lot of emotions that allowed us to hunker down and lock in. Coach Turner brings the energy every game. We have a target on our back coming into every match-up so we get everyone's best game and I would not have it any other way."

FIRST HALF
> CSUF led 11-9 before UCI scored six straight including a layup and jumper by Derin Saran, 15-11 (9:27)
> Justin Hohn drained his third three-pointer from the right side. After a Titan basket, he had a pull-up jumper at the free throw line to give UCI a 25-17 lead at 5:24
> The Titans would score five unanswered until Devin Tillis knocked down a three with 1:25 remaining in the half, 32-25
> Bent Leuchten hit from the exact spot Tillis just did with five seconds to go, 35-28
> UCI ended the half shooting at a 0.519 clip (14-27) from the floor, including 5-8 (0.625) from three-point range 

SECOND HALF
> Following two Leuchten free throws, Hohn stripped the ball on one end then drove the length of the court for a layup on the other. On the next possession he hit a jumper to increase UCI's lead to 41-31 at 18:07
> Cal State Fullerton kept themselves in the game hitting 10 free throws before Saran drove the left baseline, scored and was fouled. After making the free throw, he would drive the right baseline on UCI's next offensive possession and drop it in at 11:53, 56-44
> The Titans scored seven straight, including five from the free throw line, to draw within four at 9:22, 58-54
> Back-to-back baskets by the Titans closed the Anteaters' lead to 62-61 until Saran had a three-pointer from the left side, 65-61 (6:02)
> A 6-1 run by CSUF gave the Titans their first lead of the half at 2:34, 67-66
> UCI answered on a pair of free throws by Hohn (2:14) followed by a Crockrell II teardrop (1:20) and jumper in the paint (0:44), two free throws by Tillis (:23), and one shot at the line by Leuchten (0:05) to end the game, 75-67

NOTES
> UC Irvine took over the first place spot in the Big West standings as they are one of two teams who have won three straight games
> UCI improves to 5-0 at home
> The Anteaters now hold a 61-60 all-time series lead over the Orange County foes
> Carter Welling has blocked a shot in four consecutive games

UP NEXT
UCI will host UC Davis, who are also an undefeated 3-0 in Big West action, Saturday (Jan. 6) at 1:00 p.m. at the Bren Events Center.