IRVINE, Calif. – A late offensive surge helped UC Irvine pull away in the last five minutes of the game to defeat Cal State Bakersfield, 82-66, to open Big West play on Thursday night at the Bren Events Center. 
 
The Anteaters won on the strength of 33 points from the free throw line where they went 33-40 (0.825) on the evening.
 
All of UCI's points were scored by six players, five in double figures, led by guard Justin Hohn. Hohn finished with 19 points, including four three-pointers, a career-high eight assists, and four rebounds.
 
UC Irvine remains undefeated at 9-0, tying the 1981-82 team for the best start in program history. Nine wins are good for the nations longest win streak and the Anteaters are one of three teams who share that mark.

FROM HEAD COACH RUSSELL TURNER
"Really excited for the way that we closed the game here. We looked like a team that had belief and had the ability to put the clamps on them defensively. It was tough playing without Langston (Redfield) tonight and Andre (Henry) for awhile, so some other guys really had to step up out there and that was hard. Justin Hohn, Bent (Leuchten), and Kyle (Evans) really stepped forward. I am disappointed in our emotional control giving up a flagrant foul and a technical foul in what we knew would be a possession game."

"I have been really pleased for Kyle (Evans) and his fit here with us. On both sides of the ball, he has been great offensively and defensively. He has been a great contrast offensively with Bent (Leuchten) with his quickness. Bent made a bunch of big plays too tonight. We know Jurian Dixon is good. What was really great tonight is that he accepted the challenge of guarding their top offensive guy and went out there and executed it."

FROM JURIAN DIXON
"I just wanted to make an impact and I felt like I was playing through the flow of the game. I think that is what helped me a lot. I was comfortable being on the floor for an extended period of time just because of our 'next man up' mentality. Guarding and defense helped down the stretch. We were able to get stops without fouling and I think that is what broke the game open."
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
> Guard Jurian Dixon scored a career-best 17 points behind his career-high nine free throw makes
> Forward Kyle Evans registered a career-high 12 points and seven rebounds, a team high
> Guard Myles Che recorded a career-high 11 free throws in 12 attempts (0.917)
> Center Bent Leutchen finished with 15 points, 13 of them coming in the second half. He tied Evans with a team-high seven rebounds
> Devin Tillis rounded out the scoring with six points to go with four rebounds
> UCI held CSUB to zero fastbreak points (17-0)
> The Anteaters outperformed the 'Runners in four of the five specialty stat categories
> The Roadrunners (4-5,1-0) out-rebounded UCI, 39-33
> Cal State Bakersfield was powered by Jemel Jones's 24 points, a perfect 10-10 at the charity stripe, and eight rebounds

FIRST HALF
> Cal State Bakersfield opened the game with four points before UC Irvine tied the score as Justin Hohn bounced the ball over to Devin Tillis (18:23) at the post and Myles Che (17:43) found a way to get to the stripe then jumping ahead when Hohn received the ball on the inbound for a baseline shot at 16:34 and made the extra shot as he was fouled, 7-4
> As the battle ensued, the Roadrunners took the lead at 11-9 on a three-pointer, but Jurian Dixon (12:05) was fouled as he lofted for a triple sending him to the line where he made two to knot the score, 11-11
> The Anteaters were able to push ahead, 18-15, after two more ties when Hohn stepped to the side and then took the three-pointer (8:12)
> The 'Runners sneak their way back in front until UCI went on an 8-0 run kicked off by a trey from Hohn (5:47), followed by two made free throws from Che (5:29), and capped off with a stop on defense that led to another three from Hohn (4:56), to give them the largest lead of the half, 26-19
> Free throws from CSUB cut the deficit and eventually tied the game back up at 30-all at 1:55 when Jaden Alexander knocked down his pair
> UC Irvine bounced back to reclaim the advantage with a put-back bucket from Kyle Evans (1:09) and a clutch three at the buzzer from Hohn (0:01) to end the half up 38-33
 
SECOND HALF
> The Roadrunners erased the Anteaters lead coming out of the break with a pair of three throws and a three-pointer, 38-38 (19:04)
> Another three-ball from CSUB kept the score even and after Evans (16:57) received the ball at the basket on the run, the Roadrunners used a basket and made free throw at 16:28 to jump back in front, 44-43
> Bent Leuchten put the ball into space for Hohn (12:33) who laid it up and made the and-1 shot to equalize at 52-52
> Cal State Bakersfield brought the game within two at 10:41 before UC Irvine went on a big 10-2 run led by Leuchten who backed down the defense to spin up to the hoop (7:30) and made two free throws (6:56), Jurian Dixon (6:21) slipped baseline for a jumper, Che (5:24) with two free throw makes, and Dixon (5:04) again this time intercepting a pass and going the length of the floor for a two-handed slam, 66-56
> The 'Eaters created a late 9-0 run book-ended with four made free throws and highlighted with a turnaround jumper from Che (3:00) and a triple from Leuchten (1:53) to pull away 77-62
> UCI ended the contest with four straight points to secure the 82-66 win
 
NOTES
> UC Irvine has won their sixth straight Big West opening game
> UCI improves to 13-3 against Cal State Bakersfield in the all-time series record and are winners of the last eight meetings
> 66 points is the second most allowed this season by the Anteater defense and just the third time an opponent has eclipsed the 60-point mark
> It was just the second game this year where UCI has been out-rebounded by an opponent
> Myles Che leads the Big West with his 0.929 (26-28) free throw percentage
> Justin Hohn moved into the top spot in the league in assists (39) and assists per game (4.3)
> Kyle Evans has recorded multiple blocks in a contest in the last four outings

UP NEXT
The Anteaters will take a week off and resume action on the road on Saturday Dec. 14 at 2 p.m. at Oregon State.