IRVINE, Calif. -- The Anteaters continue Big West action, making the short trip up to Long Beach State (Jan. 30) for the first installment of the Black and Blue rivalry, then hosts UC Davis (Feb. 1) for a 1 p.m. start to open up the month of February.

UC Davis at RV UC Irvine
Saturday, Feb. 1 | 1:00 p.m. PT
Bren Events Center | Irvine, Calif.
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ABOUT UC DAVIS
> UC Davis enters the contest with a 12-9 overall record and 6-4 in the Big West
> The Aggies, who won three straight Big West contests, dropped their first of the road trip on a finishing seconds three-pointer from UC Riverside (L, 60-58)
> UCD trails in games away from Davis, 5-7, and are down 2-3 on the road in league games
> UC Davis also earned six wins in the non-conference slate where they finished one game above 0.500 (6-5)
> Their non-conference portion of the schedule was highlighted by wins over Grand Canyon, 75-68, and taking both games of the home and home series with Idaho
> UC Davis was picked to finish fifth in the league and earned a preseason All-Big West team selection for TY Johnson
> Johnson paces both the league and the Aggies with 21.2 points per game doing so on 37.9 percent shooting from the floor (146-385)
> Additionally, Johnson gets to the line the most out of any UCD player (136-173, 0.786) and leads the team in steals (55)
> Pablo Tamba, who scores 11.1 points a game, is an efficient 64 perfect from the field (89-139) and is second on the squad in both rebounds per game (5.0) and blocks (17)
> Connor Sevilla rounds out the double figure scoring with 10 points per contest, making and taking the most three-pointers (44-116, 0.379)
> Sevilla is a near perfect at the free throw line, only missing one in 34 attempts (33-34, 0.971)
> Leo DeBruhl stands at 8.8 points a game with a team high 55 assists and is second with 25 steals
> Niko Rocak dominates the boards with 7.8 grabs off the glass per contest and has blocked a league leading 41 shots
> Rocak scores at a 49.3 rate (36-73, 0.493) for 5.2 points

AT THE TOP OF THE BIG WEST
At the halfway point of the conference schedule, UC Irvine maintains their spot at the top of the standings with a 9-1 Big West record.  The Anteaters are ahead of the Tritons (18-4 overall, 8-2 Big West) and UC Riverside for third (14-8, 7-3).

HALL OF FAME CELEBRATION: MIKE HECKMAN
With festivities beginning on Jan. 31 and during the game on Feb. 1, Mike Heckman (1966-69) will be honored for his induction into the UC Irvine Athletics Hall of Fame. Heckman was a member of the initial class of students at UCI when the University opened in 1965. He led UCI to back-to-back NCAA Division II tournaments in 1968 and 1969, earning NCAA All-Tournament honors. Heckman topped the Anteaters with a 19.5 scoring average in 1967-68 and was the team's leading rebounder in 1967-68 and 1968-69.

IN THE HUNT: 20-WIN SEASON
Currently holding a 19-3 record on the season, UC Irvine is just one win away from its 15th 20-win season in program history and tenth under head coach Russell Turner. This would mark the third straight season reaching that mark. With a victory, UCI would reach 20 wins in 23 games, matching 2000-01 squad as the fastest to accomplish the feat.

VETERAN TALENT: CAREER GAMES PLAYED IN THE BIG WEST 
In his fifth season on the court and sixth overall with the UC Irvine squad, forward Ofure Ujadughele has entered into the top five of the career games played in the Big West with 142. Ujadughele is on track to break the all-time standard of 148 games set by Mike Best (2012-16) before the season ends. Additionally, guard Justin Hohn has played 136 career games, just one off from entering the league's top ten in the category. 

EXTRA, EXTRA
UC Irvine played their third over time game of the season at Long Beach State (Jan. 30) where they prevailed 80-75. Three extra time games are the most the Anteater program has played since the 2018-19 season where they competed in four.

LAST TIME OUT VERSUS UC DAVIS (JAN. 20, 2024)
TY Johnson knocked down a three-pointer with 6.8 seconds remaining to lift UC Davis over UC Irvine, 54-52, at the University Credit Union Center. In a battle of the top of the Big West standings, the closely contested game saw 12 lead changes and was tied five times. UC Irvine records its first Big West loss (6-1) and goes to 13-6 overall, while UC Davis goes to 12-7 on the year and 7-1 in league games. Guard Andre Henry led the Anteaters once again with 12 points, hitting 4-11 from the floor and 4-5 from the stripe. Guard Justin Hohn added six points and two steals, while forward Devin Tillis posted five points and four rebounds. 

KEEPING IT CLOSE
In 49 meetings between the two programs, 17 of them have been decided by three-points or fewer with seven games decided by three points, seven by two points, and three by one. UC Davis won the last three-point or fewer margin game against the Anteaters  on Jan. 20, 2024, 54-51 in Davis.

DUEL OF THE GUARDS
Saturday's contest between the Anteaters and the Aggies will pit together two preseason All-Big West guards in TY Johnson and Justin Hohn. UC Davis' Johnson is sixth in the nation and leads the conference in scoring with 21.2 points per game, second in steals per game (2.6), and tenth in free throw percentage (0.786). Hohn ranks fifth in the league in assists per game (3.7), 10th in three-point field goals per game (1.9), 20th in scoring (12.0), and 20th in field goal percentage (0.379). 

BLOCK PARTY
The Big West's best shot blocking teams and players in UC Davis and UC Irvine will face off against each other on Saturday. The Aggies overall are first in the conference with 3.7 blocks per game, but stand third with 3.2 in league contests. The Anteaters land second overall with 3.6 blocks a game and hold the top spot in conference games at a 3.9 mark. UCD's Niko Rocak leads all players with 41 total swats to average 2.0 per game while UCI's Kyle Evans is right behind him in second with 32 total (1.5).

THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE FREE
The Anteaters have been sharp at the free throw line this season with 383 makes in 477 attempts and leads the Big West in free throw percentage (0.803) which is also the nation's fourth best shooting clip at the line. UC Irvine went a perfect 13-13 at the charity stripe on Jan. 30, their second time doing so this season (14-14 vs. Pepperdine on Nov. 16).  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 13 opponents to just single digit makes from the line, the last at Long Beach State (Jan. 30) and did so in four consecutive games (Dec. 19-Jan. 2). In the national standings, Bent Leuchten ranks tenth in made free throws (122) and 19th in free throw attempts (147) while Myles Che is 36th in free throw percentage (0.884). 

EFFICIENCY IN IRVINE
Bent Leuchten is the Big West's most efficient player thus far into the season with a 30.7 grade which is the fifth best mark in the nation. Leuchten ranks first among all players in three categories: defensive rating (87.3), overall box plus/minus (11.5), and offensive box plus/minus (8.0). The center also ranks second in offensive rating (134.1) and fourth in defensive box/plus minus (3.5).

CHASING 1K
Senior Bent Leuchten enters Saturday's contest with 920 career points, just 80 away from the 1,000 career scorers milestone. Leuchten would become the 34th Anteater to accomplish this feat in a UC Irvine uniform, the second of the season to join guard Justin Hohn in the list. 

TILLIS DOMINATES OVERTIME IN UCI'S 80-75 WIN AT LBSU
Forward Devin Tillis scored eight points in overtime to lead UC Irvine to an 80-75 victory at the Walter Pyramid Thursday. UCI trailed The Beach by 10, 64-54, with 5:46 to play and held LBSU scoreless for almost four minutes. The 'Eaters went on a 14-4 run, including the final seven points, to tie the game and send it into overtime. Tillis took over in the extra frame, hitting 3-3 from the floor, including two three-pointers in the final five minutes. The Beach cut the lead to three on a long-range shot before fouling Justin Hohn off the rebound. Hohn would record the final two free throws with one second left to end the game. The Anteaters were a perfect 13-13 from the free throw line, while LBSU went 6-10 from the stripe. It is the second time this season where UCI has not missed a shot at the line.

KENPOM LEADERS
Out of 2285 eligible players, Devin Tillis is 28th in free throw percentage (0.909). Bent Leuchten is ninth in fouls drawn per 40 minutes (7.3), 11th in free throw rate (75.4), and 42nd in defensive rebound percentage (25.3). Out of 364 teams, UC Irvine ranks third in free throw attempt/field goal attempt defense (20.8), fourth in free throw percentage offense (80.9), sixth in two-point percentage defense (43.2), eighth in adjusted efficiency defense (92.4), 10th in effective field goal percentage defense (44.4), 17th in block percentage offense (6.7), 19th in offensive rebound percentage defense (25.5), 27th in assists per field goals made (60.9), and 35th in average possession length defense (16.7).

LEADING THE BIG WEST
Several Anteaters sit in the top ten of the Big West individual statistical rankings: scoring (9th, 15.4--Leuchten), rebounding (2nd, 9.0--Leuchten and 3rd, 8.0--Tillis), field goal percentage (4th, 0.550--Tillis and 6th, 0.534--Leuchten), free throw percentage (2nd, 0.884--Che and 7th, 0.830--Leuchten), three-point field goals per game (10th, 1.9--Hohn), assists (5th, 3.7--Hohn), blocks (2nd, 1.5--Evans and 7th, 1.1--Leuchten), and steals (8th, 1.5--Hohn).

NATIONAL STATISTICS THROUGH 01.30.25
UC Irvine is ranked top 50 nationally in defensive rebounds per game (2nd, 30.41), free throw percentage (4th, 80.3), field goal percentage defense (12th, 38.3), free throws made per game (20th, 17.4), rebounds per game (27th, 39.91), scoring defense (31st, 65.1), and scoring margin (40th, 11.2). 

NET WORTH
The first NET ranking of the season was released on Monday Dec. 2. The 'Eaters are the second highest ranked team in the Big West. UC San Diego tops the league at a 50 rank with the Anteaters next at 52.

 

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RV UC Irvine at Long Beach State
Thursday, Jan. 30 | 7:00 p.m. PT
Walter Pyramid | Long Beach, Calif.
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ABOUT LONG BEACH STATE
> Long Beach State enters the contest with a 7-14 overall record and 3-6 in the Big West
> LBSU is on a four-game skid, dropping games to UC San Diego (L, 80-54), Cal State Fullerton (L, 83-67), CSUN (L, 86-76), and Cal Poly (L, 78-69)
> The Beach went 4-8 during the non-conference slate with wins over La Verne, San Diego, Pepperdine, and La Sierra
> During the offseason, former San Diego State assistant coach Chris Acker took over the helm of the Long Beach State program
> After making their way to the NCAA Tournament last season, the Beach were picked to finish eighth in the Big West
> LBSU's offense is lifted by two transfer students who are averaging double figures
> Devin Askew leads the way with 18.2 points per game at a 0.414 clip from the field (125-302), 0.375 from three (39-104), and 0.879 from the line (94-107)
> Askew holds a team high 95 assists and 38 steals while placing third in both rebounds per game (4.4)
> TJ Wainwright is next up in the scoring with 13.2 points per contest on a 47.3 shooting percentage from the field (89-188) while taking and making the second most three-pointers of any Beach player (36-89, 0.404)
> Wainwright is second on the team in steals with 26
> Kam Martin puts up 8.5 points a game and dishes out 34 assists
> Austin Johnson, former UC Irvine player, is efficient from the field at a 57.3 rate (55-96) and 84.4 at the line (38-45)
> Johnson is second on the squad in rebounds per game (4.9) and blocks (15)
> Derrick Michael Xzavierro grabs a team best 129 boards (6.1 rpg) and swatted a team high 22 blocks

STAYING IN THE NATIONAL BALLOT
For the fifth time this season and for three consecutive weeks, UC Irvine has received at least one vote in the national publications. The Anteaters earned one vote in USA Today's ballot.

MID-MAJOR POLL POSITION
The Anteaters entered the week at a No. 5 rank in the College Insider Mid-Major poll, receiving one first place tally to go along with their 660 total points. The Anteaters have been top 10 in the poll for 12 straight weeks.

AT THE TOP OF THE BIG WEST
Through nine conference games played this season, UC Irvine maintains their spot at the top of the standings with an 8-1 Big West record.  The Anteaters are ahead of the Tritons (17-4 overall, 7-2 Big West) and both UC Riverside and UC Davis tied for third at 6-3 in league play (13-8 and 12-8 overall, respectively).

BLACK AND BLUE RIVALRY
Just 25 minutes and the 405 separate UC Irvine and Long Beach State. The series was first started in the 1965-66 season with league play picking up over 12 years later in the 1977-78 season. UC Irvine earned their first regular season sweep since 2021 just a season ago. Despite trailing 34-17 in games played in Long Beach, the Anteaters collected a 72-61 victory inside the Pyramid on Jan. 25, 2024.

100TH ANTEATER APPEARANCE 
In Saturday's (Jan. 25) game versus Hawai'i, senior Bent Leuchten became the fourth Anteater on the roster to make their 100th career appearance in a UC Irvine uniform, first this season. Leuchten joins Andre Henry, Justin Hohn, and Ofure Ujadughele in this feat.

SHARING THE BALL WELL
UC Irvine dished out 22 assists on 27 made baskets in the win over Hawai'i. It is just the fifth time this season where the Anteaters have dished out 20 or more assists in a game and it was the best assist rate (81.5) game through 21 games. UCI is second in the Big West in assists per game (16.0) and top the stats in the category in conference games (17.33). Justin Hohn and Myles Che are the top distributors for the 'Eaters, combining to give UCI a 12-2 record when either one of them dishes out four or more assists a game (Hohn 6-2, Che 6-0). 

LAST TIME OUT VERSUS LONG BEACH STATE (MAR. 15, 2024)
It went down to the wire, but No. 1 seed UC Irvine fell short, dropping to No. 4 seed Long Beach State, 83-79, in the first semifinal of the Big West Championship at The Dollar Loan Center Friday evening. The free throw line was key with The Beach going 22-25 (0.880) from the stripe, including 15-17 in the second half, while the Anteaters were 10-19 (0.526). UC Irvine was led by the backcourt with Justin Hohn recording 19 points going 7-15 from the floor with three three-pointers. Center Bent Leuchten and forward Devin Tillis each totaled 10 points with Leuchten grabbing a team-best nine rebounds.

BOARD GAMES
UC Irvine and Long Beach State contrast each other on the boards. The Anteaters are second in the Big West and 23rd nationally with 40.1 rebounds per game while the Beach only record 31.9 grabs off the glass per game, 11th in the league. UCI also lands first in defensive rebounds per game (30.62) and third in rebound margin (5.3) while LBSU is tenth (22.52) and ninth (-2.2) in both categories, respectively, in the conference. 

THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE FREE
The Anteaters have been sharp at the free throw line this season with 370 makes in 464 attempts and leads the Big West in free throw percentage (0.797) which is also the nation's sixth 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 12 opponents to just single digit makes from the line, the last at UC Riverside (Jan. 23) and did so in four consecutive games (Dec. 19-Jan. 2). In the national standings, Bent Leuchten ranks 12th in made free throws (119) and 21st in free throw attempts (144) while Myles Che is 46th in free throw percentage (0.878). 

EFFICIENCY IN IRVINE
Bent Leuchten is the Big West's most efficient player thus far into the season with a 31.1 grade which is the fifth best mark in the nation. Leuchten ranks first among all players in three categories: defensive rating (86.5), overall box plus/minus (12.0), and offensive box plus/minus (8.2). The center also ranks second in offensive rating (134.3) and third in defensive box/plus minus (3.8).

CHASING 1K
Senior Bent Leuchten enters Thursday's contest with 908 career points, just 92 away from the 1,000 career scorers milestone. Leuchten would become the 34th Anteater to accomplish this feat in a UC Irvine uniform, the second of the season to join guard Justin Hohn in the list. 

UCI DEFEATED HAWAI'I BEHIND SEVERAL CAREER PERFORMANCES
Several career performances along with a strong defensive effort bolstered UC Irvine's 71-55 victory over Hawai'i inside the Bren Events Center Saturday evening. Guard Myles Che led the Anteater scoring effort with a game-high 17 points where he shot 50 percent from the field (5-10) and 83 percent from the charity stripe (5-6). Che scored 11 of his 17 points in the second half, including two three-pointers, to go along with five assists. Forward Kyle Evans was a spark off the bench for UCI, scoring 12 of the team's 16 bench points. Evans matched his career-high 12 in scoring on perfect 6-6 shooting from the floor while blocking a new personal best four shots. Forward Devin Tillis posted his second consecutive double-double behind an 11 point, 13 rebound showing. His grabs at the rim are a new career-best along with his four assists. The Anteaters won their 21st consecutive game at home, improving to 18-3 overall, 8-1 in the Big West. Justin Hohn finished in double digits with 13 points, making three shots from three-point range. 

THIS JUST-IN!
Justin Hohn is a UC Irvine squad leader with 251 total points and 12.0 points per game scoring. The graduate student has 56 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 (76) and steals (31).

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 (104-188, 0.538) and has 14 double digit scoring games on the season. Additionally, Tillis is second on the squad in rebounds with 163 total (8.2 rpg). Tillis also leads all Anteaters with 11 career double-doubles posting his fifth of the season versus Hawai'i on Jan. 25 (11 pts, 13 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 9.0 rebounds a game in 21 contests played, and paces the scoring at 15.6 points per game. Leuchten has posted double-figure scoring games in 16 games this year, the latest at UC Riverside (Jan. 23) where he put up 17 points. 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 59 total assists. Che adds to the scoring effort with his 11.9 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 13th double figure scoring effort of the season, ninth straight,  with 17 points versus Hawai'i. 

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 7.0 points per game and 3.0 rebounds per game over 21 contests. Dixon continues to have career performances or break through nights, his latest versus Cal Poly (Jan. 18) with seven rebounds and four steals.

SWAT TEAM
Junior transfer Kyle Evans registered multiple blocks in three straight contests (Nov. 29-Dec. 5), totaling 31 over 21 contests. His 31 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. 25 versus Hawai'i where he matched his career high 12 points on perfect 6-6 shooting from the floor and tied his career best four blocks.

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 9.8 defensive rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game. Both Evans (31) and Leuchten (23) have double figure swats at the rim with Chol close at nine. In conference contests, the trio average 10.4 defensive rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game.

PUT IT IN THE PAINT
UCI has outscored their opponents by 134 points when scoring in the paint (UCI 712, Opp. 578). The Anteaters average 33.9 points in the paint per game and have scored 40 or more points in eight games so far (Chapman--42, Northern Iowa--48, Weber State--44, Kennesaw State--44, Belmont--42, California Baptist--46, Cal Poly--42, Cal Poly--46).

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 13.6, and Justin Hohn next at 12.0. 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 11.9 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 1,168 career tallies. Hohn begins his ascent in the ranks and is 40 points away from passing Chris McNealy (1,207--2010-14) for 24th.

500-REBOUND MACHINES 
Redshirt senior Devin Tillis put his name into the UC Irvine record book as the 28th Anteater to reach the 500-rebound achievement. The forward reached this milestone in the win at California Baptist (Dec. 30) and has 570 career boards. Tillis continues his ascent in the ranks and is 15 behind Mark Nelson (585, 1965-67) for 19th and 16 back from both Nick Sanden (586, 1966-69) and Jeff Cunningham (586, 1967-70) for 18th. Additionally, senior Bent Leuchten became the 29th Anteater to pull down 500 rebounds in their UCI career. The center accomplished this feat at UC Riverside (Jan. 23) and has 513 career rebounds. Leuchten already sits 26th and needs six more to move in front of Chris McNealy (518, 2010-14) for 25th and seven to pass Bill Moore (519, 1969-72) for 24th. 

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 128 in his career and needs 16 more  in order to move in front of Evan Leonard (143, 2016-20) for sixth.

THREE-POINT SNIPER
Justin Hohn placed his name in the record book for the third time this season, entering the top 10 in career made three-pointers made with his three triples against Hawai'i (Jan. 25). He is in a three-way tie with Chris Brown (1993-95) and Max Hazzard (2016-19) for eighth with 170. Hohn needs 20 more three-pointers to reach Jaron Martin (190, 2013-17) for seventh.

KENPOM LEADERS
Out of 2282 eligible players, Devin Tillis is 31st in free throw percentage (0.909). Bent Leuchten is seventh in fouls drawn per 40 minutes (7.6), ninth in free throw rate (77.6), and 40th in defensive rebound percentage (25.4). Out of 364 teams, UC Irvine ranks third in free throw attempt/field goal attempt defense (21.2), fifth in free throw percentage offense (80.3), sixth in two-point percentage defense (43.0), seventh in adjusted efficiency defense (91.5), 11th in effective field goal percentage defense (44.2), 14th in offensive rebound percentage defense (25.1), 14th in block percentage offense (6.5), 17th in assists per field goals made (61.5), and 21st in average possession length defense (16.5).

LEADING THE BIG WEST
Several Anteaters sit in the top ten of the Big West individual statistical rankings: scoring (9th, 15.6--Leuchten), rebounding (2nd, 9.0--Leuchten and 3rd, 8.2--Tillis), field goal percentage (4th, 0.553--Tillis and 5th, 0.538--Leuchten), free throw percentage (3rd, 0.878--Che and 7th, 0.824--Leuchten), assists (5th, 3.6--Hohn), blocks (3rd, 1.5--Evans and 6th, 1.1--Leuchten), and steals (8th, 1.5--Hohn).

NATIONAL STATISTICS THROUGH 01.28.25
UC Irvine is ranked top 50 nationally in defensive rebounds per game (2nd, 30.62), free throw percentage (6th, 79.7), field goal percentage defense (11th, 38.0), free throws made per game (20th, 17.6), rebounds per game (23rd, 40.1), scoring defense (25th, 64.6), scoring margin (35th, 11.5), and rebound margin (50th, 5.3).

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 49 and one of two in the top 100. UC San Diego is next up at 53.