IRVINE, Calif. -- RV/RV UC Irvine plays two straight games on their home floor for the first time this season, taking on cross-county rival on Jan. 16 in Cal State Fullerton before closing out the season series with Cal Poly (Jan. 18).

Cal Poly at RV/RV UC Irvine
Saturday, Jan. 4 | 7:00 p.m. PT
Bren Events Center | Irvine, Calif.
AM 830 | KUCI 88.9 | Live Stats | Watch (ESPN+) | Tickets | UC Irvine Game Notes | Cal Poly Game Notes 

ABOUT CAL POLY
> Cal Poly enters the contest with a 6-13 overall record
> The Mustangs are looking for their first Big West win of the season, 0-6 against league opponents, and their first overall win since their thrilling 95-94 overtime defeat of Denver back on Dec. 15, 2024
> Their out of conference results are highlighted by a 97-90 upset win at Stanford and a 20-point comeback from behind 95-94 effort over Denver
> Cal Poly holds a 2-9 record on the road this season, 0-3 against league foes away from San Luis Obispo
> In the offseason, Mike DeGeorge, an accomplished Division II coach, took over the reign of the Mustang program
> Cal Poly has four players who average double figures
> Owen Koonce leads Cal Poly with 17.7 points per game (336 total) at a 53.8 rate (120-223)
> Koonce also leads off the glass with 5.3 rebounds a contest
> He is complimented by Mac Riniker who scores 10.0 a contest, shoots 51 percent from the floor (74-145), pulls down 5.1 boards a game, and helps lead the Mustangs with 53 assists
> Jarred Hyder has tallied 229 total points in 17 contests played (13.5 ppg)
> Hyder has taken and made the most three's of an Cal Poly player (49-149, 0.329) and dishes out a team best 58 assists
> Isaac Jessup puts up 11.6 points per game and is efficient beyond the arc as he converts at a 0.407 clip (46-113) while leading the team with 28 steals
> Peter Bandelj is close to the double figure scoring mark with 9.1 points a game
> Bandelj makes frequent trips to the free throw line where he has made 62 of his 75 attempts (62-75, 0.827) the most of any player on the team
> Aaron Price Jr. has come off the bench in 15 contests to convert 53 percent of his shots from the field (29-55, 0.527) while Luka Tarlac has played in all 19 games to make 51 percent of his shots (30-59, 0.508) and adds to the offensive effort with 34 assists and 20 steals

NATIONAL WINNING PERCENTAGE
After defeating Cal State Fullerton on Jan. 16, UC Irvine moved to 16-2 with a win percentage of 88.9. On the national scale, the Anteaters are fourth in win percentage behind Auburn and Tennessee (16-1, 94.1) and Iowa State (15-1, 93.8).

AT THE TOP OF THE BIG WEST
For the third straight season, UC Irvine is the last remaining unbeaten team in league play with a 6-0 mark. The Anteaters occupy the top spot ahead of the Tritons (15-3 overall, 5-1 Big West) and UC Santa Barbara in third at 4-2 in league play.

HOME SWEET HOME RECORD WATCH
The Anteaters, who have won 19 consecutive home games, tied the consecutive home win record of 19 set between Dec. 2, 2000-Jan. 17, 2002. UCI holds the sixth best home winning streak in the nation and just one of two mid-majors among the top six streaks (3rd--Samford, W28). 

SWEET SIXTEEN
Through contests played on Thursday Jan. 16, UCI is only one of four programs in the nation to have hit 16 victories on the year. The Anteaters join Auburn (16-1), Tennessee (16-1), and Utah State (16-2) in this feat. 

LAST TIME OUT VERSUS CAL POLY (JAN. 2, 2025)
The UC Irvine trio of Devin Tillis, Bent Leuchten and Myles Che scored a combined 71 points in the Anteaters' 96-89 overtime victory against Cal Poly at the Mott Athletic Center. For the first time since 2011, three UC Irvine players scored 20 or more points led by Tillis' game-high 25 points, going 9-17 from the floor and 5-5 from the line. The forward had a double-double with 10 rebounds. Leuchten followed Tillis with 24 points and a game-high 11 boards, his fifth double-double of the year. The senior was 6-12 from the field and 12-14 from the line and swatted three blocks. The center scored nine of the team's 18 points in the overtime period. Guard Myles Che rounded out the trio, pouring in 22 points, hitting 9-16 from the floor and 3-4 from the line. He had five rebounds, three steals, and two assists. Once again, UCI made an impact at the line, going 28-31 from the stripe (90.3%). UCI got 42 points in the paint and had nine blocks. The Anteaters notched 10 steals for the game, scoring 22 points off 18 Mustang miscues.

DEFEND THE THREE
Cal Poly enters the game on Thursday with the nation's 12th best three-point pointers per game standing at 10.8. The Mustangs also attempt 32.1 from long-range per game which is good for fifth in the NCAA. For Cal Poly, Isaac Jessup ranks 33rd nationally and second in the Big West in three-pointers per game (3.1) while Jarred Hyder lands third in the conference in the same category with 2.9 per game and is 16th in the nation with 149 three-point attempts.

UP THE TEMPO
Saturday's contest will feel upbeat as Cal Poly leads the nation in average possession length (14.2) and are fifth-best in adjusted tempo (73.8) according to KenPom. Additionally, the Mustangs live off fastbreak attempts, scoring 14.53 points a contest that way, ranking 35th nationally.

THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE FREE
The Anteaters have been sharp at the free throw line this season with 317 makes in 396 attempts and leads the Big West in free throw percentage (0.801) which is also the nation's fourth best shooting clip at the line. UC Irvine went a perfect 14-14 at the charity stripe on Nov. 16, their first game where they did not miss a shot at the line since their 11-11 performance at Duquesne (Nov. 29, 2023). UCI shot a season high 33-40 from the charity stripe on Dec. 5 in the win over Cal State Bakersfield. Additionally, UC Irvine has held eleven opponents to just single digit makes from the line, the last versus Cal State Fullerton (Jan. 16) and did so in four consecutive games (Dec. 19-Jan. 2). In the national standings, Bent Leuchten ranks 15th in made free throws (99) and 26th in free throw attempts (119) while Myles Che is 29th in free throw percentage (0.900). 

EFFICIENCY IN IRVINE
Bent Leuchten is the Big West's most efficient player thus far into the season with a 32.0 grade which is the sixth best mark in the nation. Leuchten ranks first among all players in three categories: overall box plus/minus (12.7), offensive box plus/minus (8.7), and offensive rating (134.2). The center also ranked ranks second in both defensive box/plus minus (4.0) and defensive rating (85.5).

CHASING 500
Senior Bent Leuchten enters Saturday's meeting with Cal Poly sitting at 485 career rebounds, just 15 away from the 500-career rebounds milestone. Leuchten would become the 29th Anteater to accomplish this feat in a UC Irvine uniform, joining teammate forward Devin Tillis who hit this milestone back on Dec. 30, 2024 at California Baptist. 

CAREER LEADER BOARD WATCH
With 164 made three-pointers in his career, graduate student Justin Hohn ranks 11th in the career made three-pointers leader board and is four three-pointers away from catching Ben Jones (1997-01) for tenth with 168. Additionally, Devin Tillis will start making his way up the three-point standings as he just entered into the rankings at 23rd with 114 career made triples and is just three away from passing Jerry Green (116, 1998-02) and Mike Hood (116, 2001-03) for 21st.

TEAM EFFORT HELPS RV UC IRVINE ROLL PAST CAL STATE FULLERTON
Defense was key in UC Irvine's 82-62 win over Cal State Fullerton at the Bren Events Center on Thursday night. The Anteaters pulled down a season-high 51 rebounds, including 39 on the defensive end, and scored 17 points off Titan turnovers. UC Irvine was led by Bent Leuchten who recorded his eighth double-double of 21 points and 10 rebounds. Leuchten knocked down a career-best three three-pointers in the win, going 60 percent from long-range (3-5). The center is one of six players nationally to have six or more 20 point, 10 rebound games this season. Redshirt freshman Jurian Dixon registered a career-high five assists to go with 16 points, just one point shy of his career-high. Dixon knocked down a career-best two triples. Guard Myles Che added 13 points, three assists, and three boards. Guard Justin Hohn rounded out the double-digit scoring for the 'Eaters with 11 points and added five assists and five rebounds.

THIS JUST-IN!
Justin Hohn is a UC Irvine squad leader with 218 total points and 12.1 points per game scoring. The graduate student has 54 double figure scoring games in his career, the most of any player on the Anteater squad, Hohn reached 1,100 career points in his 16-point outing at CSUN on Jan. 9. The guard leads the Anteaters in both assists (65) and steals (28).

DOUBLE TROUBLE
Devin Tillis is a threat both on offense and defense for the Anteaters. The forward coverts at a high rate from the floor (86-151, 0.570) and has 11 double digit scoring games on the season. Additionally, Tillis is second on the squad in rebounds with 133 total (7.8 rpg). Tillis also leads all Anteaters with nine career double-doubles posting his third of the season at Cal Poly on Jan. 2 (25 pts, 10 rebs).

THE GERMAN PAINTER
Bent Leuchten dominates at the post or in the paint whether it is scoring baskets or grabbing the ball off the glass. The center is the team's leader off the glass, averaging 8.9 rebounds a game in 18 contests played, and paces the scoring at 15.9 points per game. Leuchten has posted double-figure scoring games in 14 games this year, the latestversus Cal State Fullerton (Jan. 16) where he put up 21 points. It is the second time this season Leuchten has posted back-to-back 20 point efforts. The German is just one of six players who have six or more 20 point, 10 rebound efforts this season.

CHE-SANITY
At the top of the formation for the Anteaters, Myles Che helps lead the distribution effort with his 45 total assists. Che adds to the scoring effort with his 11.2 points per game and recorded his first double digit scoring game in an Anteater uniform at Northern Iowa on Nov. 10 with his ten points. The guard is coming off his tenth double figure scoring effort of the season, sixth straight,  with 13 points against Cal State Fullerton. 

FITTING RIGHT IN
Redshirt freshman guard Jurian Dixon entered the UC Irvine starting lineup on Dec. 14 at Oregon State and has proved himself on both the offensive and defensive ends. The guard averages 6.4 points per game and 2.7 rebounds per game over 18 contests. Dixon continues to have career performances or break through nights, his latest versus Cal State Fullerton (Jan. 16) with five assists, two made three-pointers, seven three-point attempts, and was one point shy, 16, from matching his best mark of 17. 

SWAT TEAM
Junior transfer Kyle Evans registered multiple blocks in three straight contests (Nov. 29-Dec. 5), totaling 24 over 18 contests. His 24 swats at the rim rank third in the Big West. The forward had several career performances in a few games span with his latest on Jan. 16 versus Cal State Fullerton where he pulled down 11 rebounds, his first career double-figure rebounding game.

BRICK WALL
The big men down low of Bent Leuchten, Kyle Evans, and Elijah Chol pose a threat in the defensive paint for opponents. The three trio combine to average 10.1 defensive rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game. Both Evans (24) and Leuchten (22) have double figure swats at the rim with Chol close at nine. In conference contests, the trio average 11.7 defensive rebounds and 3.3 blocks per game.

PUT IT IN THE PAINT
UCI has outscored their opponents by 102 points when scoring in the paint (UCI 600, Opp. 498). The Anteaters average 33.3 points in the paint per game and have scored 40 or more points in seven games so far (Chapman--42, Northern Iowa--48, Weber State--44, Kennesaw State--44, Belmont--42, California Baptist--46, Cal Poly--42).

TEN'S ALL AROUND
Through 18 games in the season, Bent Leuchten has scored at least 10 or more points or pulled down at least 10 or more rebounds in 15 of those contests to average 15.9 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. Additionally, Leuchten's career best 15 grabs off the glass against Pepperdine and reset against Belmont are an Anteater first in the 15-19 rebounds in a game category since Collin Welp pulled down 19 on the road at LMU on Dec. 17, 2020.

OLD RELIABLE
With a veteran team that has won multiple championships in the last few seasons, three UC Irvine veteran starters are averaging double figures. Bent Leuchten leads the way with 15.9, Devin Tillis right behind at 13.2, and Justin Hohn next at 12.1. While not a veteran who has played their whole career at UC Irvine, Myles Che is the fourth player on the team ti average double digits with 11.2 points.

1,000-POINT CLUB
Graduate student Justin Hohn etched his name into the UC Irvine record book as the 33rd Anteater to eclipse the 1,000-point mark. The guard reached this milestone in the victory over Towson (Nov. 30) and has 1,135 career tallies. Hohn begins his ascent in the ranks and is two points away from surpassing Patrick Sanders (1,136--2004-08) for 27th and 11 from surpassing Bill Moore (1,145--1969-72) for 26th.

500-REBOUND MACHINE 
Redshirt senior Devin Tillis put his name into the UC Irvine record book as the 28th Anteater to reach the 500-point achievement. The forward reached this milestone in the win at California Baptist (Dec. 30) and has 540 career boards. Tillis continues his ascent in the ranks and is 14 rebounds away from surpassing Eric Wise (553, 2008-11) for 21st and needs 15 more to go ahead of Mamadou Ndiaye (554, 2013-16) for 20th.

STEALING THE LEAD
Guard Justin Hohn entered the top 10  in the program for steals with five takeaways at Cal Poly (Jan. 2). He is ranks seventh with 125 in his career and needs 19 more  in order to move in front of Evan Leonard (143, 2016-20) for sixth.

KENPOM LEADERS
Out of 2282 eligible players, Devin Tillis is 23rd in free throw percentage (0.917). Bent Leuchten is eighth in fouls drawn per 40 minutes (7.5), 25th in free throw rate (71.0), and 40th in defensive rebound percentage (26.1). Myles Che joins the duo and is ranked 44th in free throw percentage (0.900). Out of 364 teams, UC Irvine ranks second in free throw attempt/field goal attempt defense (19.9), fifth in free throw percentage offense (80.7), ninth in adjusted efficiency defense (92.3), ninth in two-point percentage defense (43.5), 12th in effective field goal percentage defense (44.1), 16th in offensive rebound percentage defense (24.9), 19th in block percentage offense (6.9), 32nd in assists per field goals made (60.4), 38th in three-point percentage defense (30.1), and 44th in average possession length defense (16.6).

LEADING THE BIG WEST
Several Anteaters sit in the top ten of the Big West individual statistical rankings: scoring (8th, 15.9--Leuchten), rebounding (2nd, 8.9--Leuchten and 3rd, 7.8--Tillis), field goal percentage (4th, 0.570--Tillis and 5th, 0.540--Leuchten), free throw percentage (1st, 0.900--Che and 8th, 0.832--Leuchten), assists (5th, 3.6--Hohn), blocks (3rd, 1.3--Evans and 6th, 1.2--Leuchten), and steals (9th, 1.6--Hohn).

NATIONAL STATISTICS THROUGH 01.16.25
UC Irvine is ranked top 50 nationally in defensive rebounds per game (3rd, 30.28), free throw percentage (5th, 80.1), field goal percentage defense (11th, 38.0), scoring defense (21st, 63.7), free throws made per game (27th, 17.6), rebounds per game (32nd, 39.83), and three-point percentage defense (45th, 30.1).

NET WORTH
The first NET ranking of the season was released on Monday Dec. 2. The 'Eaters are the top ranked team in the Big West at 44 and one of three in the top 100. UC San Diego is next up at 47 and CSUN at 99.
 

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Cal State Fullerton at RV/RV UC Irvine
Saturday, Jan. 4 | 7:00 p.m. PT
Bren Events Center | Irvine, Calif.
AM 830 | KUCI 88.9 | Live Stats | Watch (ESPN+) | Tickets | UC Irvine Game Notes | Cal State Fullerton Game Notes 

ABOUT CAL STATE FULLERTON
> Cal State Fullerton enters the contest with a 5-13 overall record
> The Titans are on a four game skid, dropping consecutive league matchups against CSUN (L, 95-65), UC San Diego (L, 90-51), at UC Davis (L, 63-53), and Hawai'i (L, 95-86)
> CSUF has not won a conference game this season entering Thursday's matchup
> Cal State Fullerton's last win came against Nobel (W, 93-60) and last against a Division I opponent on Dec. 15 versus Denver (W, 74-59)
> The Titans are 1-8 on the road this season while their lone road victory, 72-63, at Pepperdine (Nov 26)
> CSUF finished their non-conference portion of the schedule with a 5-7 record
> Donovan Oday is the lone Titan averaging double figures with 13.1 points per game
> Oday puts the ball up a lot with 181 attempts from the field overall (76-181. 0.420) and 46 from three-point range (13-46, 0.283)
> John Mikey Square is next up in scoring with 8.5 points per contest on an efficient 59.7 shooting percentage (46-77) from the floor and 83.6 percent from the line (61-73) while blocking a team best 12 shots
> Square has not made or attempted a three-pointer this season
> Kobe Young grabs 5.6 rebounds a game, a team best, to go along with 7.8 points
> Kaleb Brown leads the point for the Titans, distributing 29 total assists through 18 contests and averages 6.6 points per game on 41.7 percent shooting (40-96)
> Zion Richardson has taken and made the most three-pointers of any CSUF player this season (14-49, 0.286) and shoots at the highest clip at the free throw line (27-29, 0.931)
> 11 out of the 13 Cal State Fullerton players that have appeared in a contest this season have started in at least one game

BACK IN THE NATIONAL BALLOT
For the third time this season and first time since Dec.9, UC Irvine received votes in both the AP and USA Today Coaches polls. The Anteaters earned two votes in the AP publication and one vote in USA Today's ballot.

MID-MAJOR POLL POSITION
UC Irvine remains inside the top 10 of the CollegeInsider Mid-Major Poll, moving up to third in this week's release. UCI sits behind top-ranked and No. 16 Gonzaga who received all 31 first place votes (775 total) and Saint Mary's who earned 737 points. The Anteaters have been top 10 in the poll for ten straight weeks.

NATIONAL WINNING PERCENTAGE
After defeating UC San Diego on Jan. 11, UC Irvine moved to 15-2 with a win percentage of 88.2. On the national scale, the Anteaters are fifth in win percentage behind Auburn and Utah State (16-1, 94.1), Tennessee (15-1, 93.8), and Iowa State (14-1, 93.3).

AT THE TOP OF THE BIG WEST
For the third straight season, UC Irvine is the last remaining unbeaten team in league play with a 5-0 mark after a decisive win at UC San Diego who was previously undefeated through four conference games. The Anteaters occupy the top spot ahead of the Tritons (14-3 overall, 4-1 Big West) and four teams with a 3-2 mark in conference action.

HOME SWEET HOME RECORD WATCH
The Anteaters, who have won 18 consecutive home games, are just one win away from tying the consecutive home win record of 19 set between Dec. 2, 2000-Jan. 17, 2002. UCI holds the eighth best home winning streak in the nation and just one of two mid-majors among the top eight streaks (3rd--Samford, W28). 

LEUCHTEN DELIVERS FOR BIG WEST WEEKLY HONOR
Senior Bent Leuchten was named Big West Player of the Week after two dominating performances in a two win week for the Anteaters. This is the second honor of Leuchten's career and the first honor for the Anteaters since January 9, 2023 when Leuchten received his first weekly accolade. The center ended the week averaging 20 points and 12.5 rebounds while shooting 50 percent from the field (11-22, 0.500), a perfect 1-1 from three-point range, and 17-22 (0.773) from the charity stripe in addition to four assists, four blocks, and a steal. His two double-doubles of the week amounted to his fourth in the last five contests.

LAST TIME OUT VERSUS CAL STATE FULLERTON (MAR. 9, 2024)
UC Irvine dominated Cal State Fullerton on the glass to beat the Titans 81-71, closing out the regular season at Titan Gym. The Anteaters out-rebounded the Titans 41-20 and owned a 19-3 advantage in second chance points with 13 offensive rebounds. Forward Devin Tillis pulled down a game-high ten rebounds followed by Bent Leuchten with eight and Justin Hohn's seven. Leuchten led all players with 17 points, going 5-9 (0.556) from the floor and 7-8 (0.875) from the line in addition to a block. Another key was the free throw line with the Anteaters hitting 19-25 (0.760), while CSUF was 8-14 (0.571). UCI improved to 24-8 overall and ended the Big West schedule with a league-leading 17-3 record. The Anteaters extended their winning streak to four. Tillis was 5-6 from the floor and 3-6 from the line for 13 points to record his third double double of the season. Hohn also totaled 13 points on 5-12 shooting from the field, including 3-5 from three-pointer distance.

TOUGH BUCKETS
Cal State Fullerton will enter Thursday's contest producing 63.8 points per game, the same amount as UC Irvine's 21st nationally ranked defense allows per contest. The Anteaters have held eight opponents to 60 points or few this season. On the other hand, the Anteaters average 74.4 points per game which is just right above the Titans scoring defense (73.8), the second most allowed by a Big West team. 

DUKING IT OUT AT THE STRIPE
Both the Anteaters and Titans are the league's best free throw shooting teams up to this point in the season. Cal State Fullerton ranks 20th in the nation in free throw percentage (0.780), second in the Big West, and 47th in free throws made per game (16.7)while UC Irvine is fourth (0.810) and 29th (17.5) nationally in both categories.

PRODUCTION FROM THE BENCH
UC Irvine looks to halt the Titans momentum from their bench players as Cal State Fullerton ranks first in the Big West in bench points per game (29.33), good for 39th in the nation. 46 percent of the Titans scoring comes from their second and third units.

THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE FREE
The Anteaters have been sharp at the free throw line this season with 298 makes in 368 attempts and leads the Big West in free throw percentage (0.810) which is also the nation's fourth best shooting clip at the line. UC Irvine went a perfect 14-14 at the charity stripe on Nov. 16, their first game where they did not miss a shot at the line since their 11-11 performance at Duquesne (Nov. 29, 2023). UCI shot a season high 33-40 from the charity stripe on Dec. 5 in the win over Cal State Bakersfield. Additionally, UC Irvine has held ten opponents to just single digit makes from the line and did so in four consecutive games (Dec. 19-Jan. 2). In the national standings, Bent Leuchten ranks 15th in made free throws (97) and 22nd in free throw attempts (117) while Myles Che is 23rd in free throw percentage (0.908). 

EFFICIENCY IN IRVINE
Bent Leuchten is the Big West's most efficient player thus far into the season with a 31.4 grade which is the sixth best mark in the nation. Leuchten ranks first among all players in three categories: overall box plus/minus (12.1), offensive box plus/minus (8.1), and offensive rating (133.6). The center also ranked ranks second in both defensive box/plus minus (4.0) and defensive rating (86.3).

CAREER LEADER BOARD WATCH
With 162 made three-pointers in his career, graduate student Justin Hohn ranks 11th in the career made three-pointers leader board and is six three-pointers away from catching Ben Jones (1997-01) for tenth with 168. Additionally, Devin Tillis will start making his way up the three-point standings as he just entered into the rankings at 23rd with 114 career made triples and is just three away from passing Jerry Green (116, 1998-02) and Mike Hood (116, 2001-03) for 21st.

UCI SNAPS UCSD'S 12 GAME WIN STREAK TO CLAIM BIG WEST'S TOP SPOT
UC Irvine remains atop the Big West standings as they defeated UC San Diego, the previous winners of 12 straight contests, 60-52, in a sold out LionTree Arena Saturday evening. The Anteaters defense clamped down to hold the Tritons to 52 points, the lowest offensive production from UCSD this season. It is the eighth time this season where UCI has held opponents to under 60 points and fourth time under 52 tallies. Center Bent Leuchten was a dominant force going for 23 points and 13 rebounds to notch his seventh double-double of the season. Leuchten exploded in the second half where he scored 15 points with six makes from the line (6-7) and pulled down seven boards. Myles Che pulled together a 15-point effort on the strength of three three-pointers (3-7), tying his career-best, and dished out a team-high four assists. UC Irvine improves to 15-2 on the season and 5-0 in the Big West. The Anteaters won their eighth contest on the road this season, the most of any team in the country, and 11th away from Irvine. UC San Diego drops to 14-3 (4-1 BW) as they suffered their first defeat since Nov. 16, 2024, against Seattle. 

THIS JUST-IN!
Justin Hohn is a UC Irvine squad leader with 207 total points and 12.2 points per game scoring. The graduate student has 53 double figure scoring games in his career, the most of any player on the Anteater squad, Hohn reached 1,100 career points in his 16-point outing at CSUN on Jan. 9. The guard leads the Anteaters in both assists (60) and steals (26).

DOUBLE TROUBLE
Devin Tillis is a threat both on offense and defense for the Anteaters. The forward coverts at a high rate from the floor (86-151, 0.570) and has 11 double digit scoring games on the season. Additionally, Tillis is second on the squad in rebounds with 133 total (7.8 rpg). Tillis also leads all Anteaters with nine career double-doubles posting his third of the season at Cal Poly on Jan. 2 (25 pts, 10 rebs).

THE GERMAN PAINTER
Bent Leuchten dominates at the post or in the paint whether it is scoring baskets or grabbing the ball off the glass. The center is the team's leader off the glass, averaging 8.9 rebounds a game in 17 contests played, and paces the scoring at 15.6 points per game. Leuchten has posted double-figure scoring games in 13 games this year, the latest at UC San Diego (Jan. 11) where he put up 23 points. 

CHE-SANITY
At the top of the formation for the Anteaters, Myles Che helps lead the distribution effort with his 42 total assists. Che adds to the scoring effort with his 11.1 points per game and recorded his first double digit scoring game in an Anteater uniform at Northern Iowa on Nov. 10 with his ten points. The guard is coming off his ninth double figure scoring effort of the season, and fifth straight, with 15 points at UC San Diego. 

SWAT TEAM
Junior transfer Kyle Evans registered multiple blocks in three straight contests (Nov. 29-Dec. 5), totaling 22 over 17 contests. His 22 swats at the rim rank third in the Big West. The forward had several career performances in a few games span with his latest on Dec. 5 versus the Roadrunners where he dropped 12 points on 5-7 (0.714) shooting from the floor and grabbed seven boards. 

BRICK WALL
The big men down low of Bent Leuchten, Kyle Evans, and Elijah Chol pose a threat in the defensive paint for opponents. The three trio combine to average 9.5 defensive rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game. Both Evans (22) and Leuchten (22) have double figure swats at the rim with Chol close at eight.

PUT IT IN THE PAINT
UCI has outscored their opponents by 100 points when scoring in the paint (UCI 570, Opp. 470). The Anteaters average 33.5 points in the paint per game and have scored 40 or more points in seven games so far (Chapman--42, Northern Iowa--48, Weber State--44, Kennesaw State--44, Belmont--42, California Baptist--46, Cal Poly--42).

TEN'S ALL AROUND
Through 17 games in the season, Bent Leuchten has scored at least 10 or more points or pulled down at least 10 or more rebounds in 14 of those contests to average 15.6 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. Additionally, Leuchten's career best 15 grabs off the glass against Pepperdine and reset against Belmont are an Anteater first in the 15-19 rebounds in a game category since Collin Welp pulled down 19 on the road at LMU on Dec. 17, 2020.

OLD RELIABLE
With a veteran team that has won multiple championships in the last few seasons, three UC Irvine veteran starters are averaging double figures. Bent Leuchten leads the way with 15.6, Devin Tillis right behind at 13.2, and Justin Hohn next at 12.2. While not a veteran who has played their whole career at UC Irvine, Myles Che is the fourth player on the team ti average double digits with 11.1 points.

1,000-POINT CLUB
Graduate student Justin Hohn etched his name into the UC Irvine record book as the 33rd Anteater to eclipse the 1,000-point mark. The guard reached this milestone in the victory over Towson (Nov. 30) and has 1,124 career tallies. Hohn begins his ascent in the ranks and is 13 points away from surpassing Patrick Sanders (1,136--2004-08) for 27th.

500-REBOUND MACHINE 
Redshirt senior Devin Tillis put his name into the UC Irvine record book as the 28th Anteater to reach the 500-point achievement. The forward reached this milestone in the win at California Baptist (Dec. 30) and has 540 career boards. Tillis continues his ascent in the ranks and is 14 rebounds away from surpassing Eric Wise (553, 2008-11) for 21st and needs 15 more to go ahead of Mamadou Ndiaye (554, 2013-16) for 20th.

STEALING THE LEAD
Guard Justin Hohn entered the top 10  in the program for steals with five takeaways at Cal Poly (Jan. 2). He is currently tied for seventh with both Ben McDonald (123, 1980-84) and Scott Brooks (123, 1985-87) and needs 22 more  in order to move in front of Evan Leonard (143, 2016-20) for sixth.

KENPOM LEADERS
Out of 2274 eligible players, Devin Tillis is 24th in free throw percentage (0.917). Bent Leuchten is ninth in fouls drawn per 40 minutes (7.7), 13th in free throw rate (76.1), and 41st in defensive rebound percentage (26.1). Myles Che joins the duo and is ranked 39th in free throw percentage (0.908). Out of 364 teams, UC Irvine ranks second in free throw attempt/field goal attempt defense (20.0), third in free throw percentage offense (81.8), eighth in adjusted efficiency defense (92.0), ninth in offensive rebound percentage defense (24.4), 16th in two-point percentage defense (44.3), 18th in effective field goal percentage defense (44.3), 30th in block percentage offense (7.1), and 45th in three-point percentage defense (30.3).

LEADING THE BIG WEST
Several Anteaters sit in the top ten of the Big West individual statistical rankings: scoring (8th, 15.6--Leuchten), rebounding (2nd, 8.9--Leuchten and 3rd, 7.8--Tillis), field goal percentage (5th, 0.570--Tillis and 7th, 0.533--Leuchten), free throw percentage (1st, 0.908--Che and 8th, 0.829--Leuchten), assists (5th, 3.5--Hohn), blocks (3rd, 1.3--Evans and 4th, 1.3--Leuchten), and steals (9th, 1.5--Hohn).

NATIONAL STATISTICS THROUGH 01.14.25
UC Irvine is ranked top 50 nationally in free throw percentage (4th, 81.0), defensive rebounds per game (6th, 29.76), field goal percentage defense (16th, 38.5), scoring defense (21st, 63.8), free throws made per game (29th, 17.5), and rebounds per game (46th, 39.18).

NET WORTH
The first NET ranking of the season was released on Monday Dec. 2. The 'Eaters are the top ranked team in the Big West at 43 and one of two in the top 75. UC San Diego is next up at 53.