SALT LAKE CITY – UC Irvine battled until the end but came up short in an 84-75 loss to second-seed Utah in the first round of the NIT at the Jon M. Huntsman Center on Tuesday night.

A late 9-0 run by UCI pulled the Anteaters within four, 73-77, with 2:05 to play, but UCI only made one more basket and watched Utah make 7-8 from the line to close out the game.

Utah shot 55.2 percent (32-58) from the floor, going 9-18 (0.500) from long distance. The Utes made eight of their three-pointers in the first half, including three in a row to go into the break with a lead they would never relinquish. The Anteaters were 30-73 (0.411) from the field and 9-14 (0.643) from the line, making 6-18 three-pointers.

UC Irvine out-rebounded Utah 40-36, but the Utes' size led to 11 blocked shots.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS
> Freshman Derin Saran led the Anteaters with 16 points, hitting 6-12 (0.500) from the floor, including two three pointers
> Saran pulled down five rebounds and had two steals
> Forward Devin Tillis had a team-best seven rebounds to go with 14 points (5-9, 0.556)
> Center Bent Leuchten added 13 points and six rebounds
> Guard Pierre Crockrell II rounded out the double-digit scorers with 10 points, leading the team with five assists and two steals
> Guard Justin Hohn recorded nine points and three rebounds
> Forward Carter Welling totaled six rebounds, five points and a block
> Utah's Branden Carlson blocked five shots and posted a double-double with a game-high 21 points and 11 rebounds

FROM HEAD COACH RUSSELL TURNER
"We did battle and I am impressed with that. I am not surprised at all as that is the makeup of this team. They continue to have belief in each other and to have the spirit to fight like we did. Credit to Utah, they played really well tonight. We had something to do with that at times. I didn't think our defensive performance was really good."

"I am really excited about what this team has done together. I am truly impressed with these guys. It's not easy to explain if you aren't a part of it, but these guys are connected through the experiences that we have had."

FIRST HALF
> Andre Henry stripped the Ute player and scored at the other end to open the game at 19:14
> Utah then went on a 9-0 run that was halted by a Devin Tillis three-pointer at the top of the arc, 9-5 (16:20)
> UCI went to work using a Bent Leuchten turn-around jumper with a hand in his face and two free throws which was followed by a layup high off the glass by Pierre Crockrell II to tie the game at 14:29, 11-11
> The Utes rallied with the next five points, 16-11 (14:01)
> Langston Redfield had the second chance put-back before Tillis dribbled around the paint hooking in his shit to narrow the margin to one, 18-17 (10:25)
> Once again, Utah answered with seven in a row to build to a 25-17 advantage
> UC Irvine unleashed on an 11-2 run as Tillis knocked down a pair of threes, the last at the top of the arc at 7:13, then Justin Hohn drained a jumper (5:54), and Leuchten dropped in a quick hook shot and converted the and-1 shot to give the Anteaters the lead 28-27 (5:54)
> Derin Saran stepped back for the three-pointer and Leuchten knocked down a pair of free throws to move in front 36-34 with 2:44 to go in the half
> Henry pulled down the rebound on the defensive end which led to a Leuchten left-handed hook to increase the lead to 38-34 (2:18)
> A Saran layup gave UCI the 40-37 lead only to watch the Utes hit three consecutive three-pointers the last a deep trey by Gabe Madsen as time expired giving Utah the 46-40 halftime advantage

SECOND HALF
> Utah scored the first four to extend the lead to 10 before Leuchten went up for the rebound put it, 50-42
> Following a Hohn jumper, the Utes out-scored UCI 13-4 to break open a 69-52 lead with 10:14 to play
> The Anteaters rallied on a Crockrell II layup and jumper plus two Saran free throws, kept UCI close 69-58 (9:06)
> Crockrell II pulled up for a free throw line jumper (7:19) and Tillis barreled in for a layup (5:27), 75-64
> UCI powered through as they scored nine straight on a Tillis free throw, Saran layup, Hohn three-pointer and Saran three-pointer in front of the Anteater bench to force a Utah timeout at 2:05, 77-73
> Crockrell II recorded the last Anteater points off a jumper as Utah went 7-8 from the line to close out the game, 84-75

NOTES
> Crockrell II remains at seventh place in program history with 395 career assists
> Crockrell II sits in third place in the all-time season assists leader board with his 217 assists in 2023-24
> Hohn is tied for 16th in the career three-pointers leader board with 132