IRVINE, Calif. -- The Anteaters start their road portion of the non-conference schedule on Friday Nov. 8 at nearby LMU before heading to the Midwest to face Northern Iowa on Sunday Nov. 10.

UC Irvine at Northern Iowa
Sunday, Nov. 10 | 11:00 a.m. PT
McLeod Center | Cedar Falls, Iowa
Live Stats | Watch (ESPN+) | Tickets | UCI Game Notes | UNI Game Notes 

ABOUT NORTHERN IOWA
> Northern Iowa finished their 2023-24 campaign with a 19-14 overall record, 12-8 in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) 
> UNI's previous season came to an end in the Arch Madness semifinals where they fell to a tough opponent and NIT finalist Indiana State, 94-72
> The Panthers boasted impressive wins over Stanford (73-51) and Richmond (78-73)
> UNI has been efficient in their shot selection through two contests as they rank 28th nationally in field goal percentage (0.558) and 38th in effective field goal percentage (0.629)
> Entering 2024-25, UNI was selected second in the MVC Preseason Poll with Tytan Anderson named to the preseason First Team All-MVC while Jacob Hutson and Trey Campbell were placed on the Second Team
> The Blue Ribbon Yearbook also predicted a second place finish in the MVC for the Panthers
> Through two games in the season, Anderson paces the Panther offense with 16 points per game as he is shooting at a 0.667 clip from both the field (10-15) and three-point range (4-6)
> RJ Taylor is next up in scoring with his 12 points per game with 10 makes from the field (10-16, 0.625) and dished out a team best six assists
> Leon Bond III rounds out the double figure scorers tallying 11.5 points with his hot 64.3 shooting percentage (9-14)
> Jacob Hutson has grabbed a team leading 6.5 rebounds per game, 13 total, and has blocked three shots
> Will Hornseth has been efficient in his 13.8 minutes per game as he is perfect from both the field (7-7) and from the free throw line (3-3)
> Hornseth has also blocked a team best three shots

NICE TO MEET YOU
UCI has not met Northern Iowa in program history. The Panthers are one of four teams on UCI's schedule that the Anteaters have not faced before with the others being Kennesaw State, Towson, and Belmont. UC Irvine is 3-1 over the last two seasons when facing an opponent for the first time.

BATTLE OF THE TOP MID-MAJORS
Sunday's matinee between Northern Iowa and UC Irvine pits together two CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Poll Top 25 teams. UNI sits in the top 10 at seventh and UCI lands 12th.

UC IRVINE DOWNS LMU ON THE ROAD, 66-51
Hot shooting from UC Irvine in the first half lifted them to a 66-51 victory over LMU inside Gersten Pavilion Friday evening. The Anteaters ripped a fiery 0.556 clip (5-9) from three-point range and 13-25 (0.520) from the field while holding the Lions to 16.7 percent (1-6) from three in the first 20 minutes. UCI did not trail in the contest. Guard Andre Henry led UCI's scoring with 17 points on 5-7 shooting from the field, 3-5 from long range, and 4-4 from the charity stripe. Senior Bent Leuchten rounded out the double figure scoring with his 11 points. The center pulled down a team best 11 rebounds to record his first career double-double. Both Justin Hohn and Devin Tillis tallied eight points. Hohn knocked down two shots from three-point range while Tillis grabbed six boards.

I'LL TAKE A TRUE DAILY DOUBLE, PLEASE!
Bent Leuchten posted his first career double-double in the victory over LMU on Friday (Nov. 8) evening. The center poured in 11 points and grabbed 11 boards for a true double-double. It was just the fourth double figure rebounding game for the senior and 22nd game scoring where he finished in double digits.

GET TO THE LINE
In the first two contests of the season, the Anteaters have taken 50 shots from the free throw line, averaging 25 shots at the charity stripe per game. At the same time, UC Irvine has only allowed their opponents to take 17 shots at the line through 80 minutes. Bent Leuchten has taken a team leading 16 shots from the line in two games which ranks 43rd in the nation and his 12 makes lands him 47th.

OLD RELIABLE
With a veteran team that has won multiple championships in the last few seasons, four UC Irvine veteran starters are averaging double figures. Bent Leuchten leads the way with 15, both Andre Henry and Justin Hohn have 11.5, and Devin Tillis rounds it out with 10.5 points per game.

SWAT TEAM
Junior transfer Kyle Evans has registered multiple blocks in back-to-back contests, totaling five over two contests. His five swats at the rim rank first in the Big West, 20th nationally in total blocks, and 48th in the nation in blocks per game (2.5).

WATCH YOUR POCKET
Justin Hohn leads the Big West with six steals, picking off his opposition a career best five times in the season opener against Chapman (Nov. 4). Hohn's six pickoff's ranks 29th nationally in a category where 300 players are ranked.

SEEING THE FLOOR
At the top of the formation for the Anteaters, Myles Che leads the distribution effort with his six total assists while only committing one turnover in 42 minutes of action. Che's 6.0 assist/turnover ratio is good for second in the Big West and is 45th nationally. 

MOVEMENT IN THE METRICS
After a dominating 15-point road win at LMU (66-51), UCI moved up to 80 in KenPom after the completion of all contests played on Friday Nov. 8. The Anteaters entered the meeting at 104, rising 24 spots in the metrics.

POTENT DEFENSE
Through the first two games of the regular season, UC Irvine has held their opponents to 51.5 points per game with LMU scoring the lowest at 51 points on Friday evening. The Anteaters scoring defense is currently ranked 20th in the nation. UCI has also held their opponents to a 0.328 clip from the field which is good for 33rd nationally.

CHASING 1K
Graduate student Justin Hohn enters Sunday's meeting with UNI sitting at 940 career points, just 60 away from the 1,000 career scorer's milestone. Hohn would become the 33rd Anteater to accomplish this feat in a UC Irvine uniform, the first since Dawson Baker at the completion of the 2022-23 campaign. 

CAREER LEADER BOARD WATCH
With 135 made three-pointers in his career, graduate student Justin Hohn ranks 15th in the career made three-pointers leader board and is seven three-pointers away from catching Travis Souza (2011-15) and Scott Brooks (1985-87) for 14th with 142. 

KENPOM LEADERS
Out of 2208 eligible players, Andre Henry is 16th in true shooting percentage (95.5) and 27th in effective field goal percentage (92.9), Ofure Ujadughele is 36th in assist rate (45.5) and Bent Leuchten is 41st in percentage of possessions used (34.3). Out of 362 teams, UC Irvine ranks fifth in free throw attempt/field goal attempt defense (10.0), sixth in offensive rebound percentage defense (12.2), 29th in effective field goal percentage (97.2), 30th in free throw percentage (82.4), 31st in two-point percentage defense (38.2), and 46th in steal percentage offense (5.8).

NATIONAL STATISTICS THROUGH 11.8.24
UC Irvine is ranked top 50 nationally in field goal percentage defense (33rd--32.8) and scoring defense (20th--51.5).
 

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UC Irvine at LMU
Friday, Nov. 8 | 7:00 p.m. PT
Gersten Pavillion | Los Angeles, Calif.
Live Stats | Watch (ESPN+) | Tickets | UCI Game Notes | LMU Game Notes

ABOUT LMU
> LMU finished their 2023-24 campaign with a 12-19 overall record, 5-11 in the West Coast Conference
> The Lions had a notable win against UNLV, 78-75, at the Jack Jones Classic on Dec. 9, 2023 to highlight their campaign
> A familiar face joined the staff in Los Angeles as the former Pepperdine head coach Lorenzo Romar joined the Lions program as an assistant coach this offseason
> Entering 2024-25, LMU was selected sixth in the WCC Preseason Poll and are 1-0 overall with a season opening 99-56 win over LIFE Pacific
> In the season opening victory, four Lions scored in  double figures led by Alex Merkviladze (22) and Myron Amey Jr. (20)
> Alex Merkviladze returns to LMU for his fifth season and earned All-WCC Honorable Mention honors last season
> The graduate student averaged 12.2 points per game and ranked third in the conference with 7.1 rebounds per game
> Amey Jr. joins the program as a transfer from San Jose State where he was an All-Mountain West Honorable Mention in 2023-24
> The redshirt junior averaged a team best 16.5 points per game in Mountain West games which ranked fifth in the conference
> Another impactful transfer in Jevon Porter joins the program from Pepperdine
> Porter was an All-WCC Honorable Mention a season ago and was picked to the WCC Preseason Team entering the 2024-25 campaign

HITTING THE ROAD
UCI plays ten of their 12 non-conference games on the road, including their three games that will be played in Lethbridge, Alberta at the Western Slam MTE. This is the most UCI has been on the road since the 2019-20 season where 10 games were not at home with four played at neutral sites. Their first road stint starts this weekend with a quick drive up to LMU (Nov. 8) before flying out to Northern Iowa (Nov. 10).

LEUCHTEN'S CAREER NIGHT PUSHES UCI PAST LMU (NOV. 15, 2022)
Bent Leuchten had a career-high 20 points to lead UC Irvine to a 79-64 non-conference victory over LMU on Tuesday evening at the Bren Events Center. Leuchten went 7-8 from the floor, including 2-2 from three. The sophomore, who recorded 13 of his points in the second half, added four rebounds and a block in 22 minutes of action. The Anteaters, who are receiving votes in the AP Top 25 Poll, improve to 3-0 on the season. Sophomore Andre Henry had a season-high six points while Devin Tillis would lead the team on the glass, grabbing six rebounds.

UC IRVINE OPENS SEASON WITH 82-52 VICTORY OVER CHAPMAN
Four Anteaters scored in double-figures in UC Irvine's 82-52 season opening victory over Chapman at the Bren Events Center on Monday evening. UCI out-scored Chapman 50-22 in the second half, holding the Panthers to a 26.7 (8-30) shooting percentage over the last 20 minutes. The Anteaters scored the final 25 points of the game, holding their opponent scoreless for the final eight minutes. Center Bent Leuchten led the Anteaters with 19 points, 14 coming in the second half. He was 6-8 from the field and 7-9 free throw line. He matched forward Devin Tillis for the team lead in rebounding with seven. Guard Justin Hohn had 15 points, hitting 4-9 from the floor with a three-pointer and was 6-7 from the line. The graduate student recorded a career-high five steals to go with three assists and three rebounds in the win. Tillis scored 13 points on 5-6 shooting from the floor and 2-2 from the line. Guard Jurian Dixon rounded out the double-digit performers with 13. He went 5-8 from the field and 3-3 from the free throw line in his Anteater debut.

SUCCESS IN SEASON OPENERS
In back-to-back seasons, Bent Leuchten has been successful in setting a career high. At San Jose State in 2023 and then again versus Chapman in 2024, the center has attempted a career high nine shots from the free throw line where he converted seven of them.

LEADING THE NATION
Through the first two days of the regular season, a few Anteaters rank within the top-50 nationally in individual statistical categories. Justin Hohn lands fourth among all players in steals and steals per game (5), Kyle Evans is 20th in both blocks and blocks per game (3), and Bent Leuchten is 48th in free throws made (7) and 50th in attempted free throws (9). 

CHASING 1K
Graduate student Justin Hohn enters the season with 932 career points, just 68 away from the 1,000 career scorers milestone. Hohn would become the 33rd Anteater to accomplish this feat in a UC Irvine uniform, the first since Dawson Baker at the completion of the 2022-23 campaign. 

CAREER LEADER BOARD WATCH
With 133 made three-pointers in his career, graduate student Justin Hohn is tied for 16th in the career made three-pointers leader board and is one three-pointer away from tying Nic Campbell (2003-07) for 15th and nine away from catching Travis Souza (2011-15) and Scott Brooks (1985-87) for 14th with 142. 

WELCOME TO THE FLOOR
Junior Kyle Evans, sophomore Myles Che, redshirt freshmen Jurian Dixon and Ben Egbo, and freshmen Berk Can Akin, Tishan Ahir, and Torian Lee all made their Anteater debut's on Monday Nov. 4 against Chapman. Five of the seven players tallied at least one point in the win.

GAP YEAR
Along with redshirt sophomore Akiva McBirney-Griffin, freshman Jovan Jester Jr. will sit out this season as a redshirt for the Anteaters. Both will return to the floor or make their debut in 2025-26. 

WE'RE NUMBER ONE
In the Big West Coaches' Poll that was released on Oct. 15, UC Irvine was picked first to finish first in the league with eight first place votes. Graduate student Justin Hohn was named to the Big West Coaches' Preseason Team after garnering All-Big West Second Team honors last season. It was the first time since the 2020-21 season that the Anteaters were picked to finish atop the standings and first time since 2021-22 that a UCI player was selected to the preseason squad.

CORE FOUR
UCI returns four starters, Justin Hohn, Andre Henry, Devin Tillis, and Bent Leuchten, the most of any Big West school in 2024-25. When all four players started a contest with each other last season, the Anteaters were 18-4.

NATIONAL STATISTICS THROUGH 11.5.24
UC Irvine is ranked top-50 nationally in turnovers forced per game (16th--22), turnover margin (17th--12.0), free throws made (18th--24.0), free throw attempts (19th--33.0), fastbreak points (27th--26.00), steals per game (30th--13.0), and scoring defense (38th--52.0).