UC Irvine Hosts Belmont; Heads To Weststar Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational
December 17, 2025 | Men's Basketball
THIS WEEK IN ANTEATER BASKETBALL
Belmont (11-1) vs UC Irvine (7-4)
Bren Events Center (5,000) - Irvine, Calif.
Friday, Dec. 19 - 6:00 PM PT | ESPN+ | KLAA AM830 |ย Live Stats
Weststar Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational
North Dakota Stateย (10-3) vs. UC Irvine (7-4)
Don Haskins Center (12,000) โ El Paso, TX
Sunday, Dec. 21 - 4:00 PM PT | YouTube| Live Stats
UC Irvine vs Norfolk State (4-7) or UTEP (3-6)
Don Haskins Center (12,000) โ El Paso, TX
Monday, Dec. 22 - 4:00 or 6:00 PM PT | YouTube | Live Statsย
UC Irvine men's basketball embarks on their final non-conference push with three games in four days over two states. The Bren Events Center will see its final game of 2025 Friday (Dec. 19) with the Anteaters hosting Belmont of the Missouri Valley Conference at 6:00 p.m. UC Irvine then heads to El Paso, Texas for the Weststar Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational taking on North Dakota State on Sunday (Dec. 21) and wrapping it up the next day against either Norfolk State or UTEP.
STORYLINES
UC Irvine is 7-4 overall and enters the week on a four-game winning streak.
The Anteaters have been idle since beating CSUN 85-71 on Dec. 6.
Friday's game against Belmont features two of the best defensive teams in the country. UCI is currently second in the nation in field goal percentage defense (35.2), while the Bruins are eighth (36.7).
UC Irvine has held opponents to under .317 shooting from the floor three of the last four games.
The Bruins are ranked fifth in the CollegeInsider.com Mid Major poll after beginning the year with a 11-1 record. They have won the last three with the lone loss coming against Richmond, 76-84 at home.
The Anteaters close out the non-conference schedule at the WestStar Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational, ย the oldest holiday collegiate basketball tournament in the country. It is UCI's fourth appearance at the event, going 4-2 overall.
UCI captured the 2015 title with an 80-62 win over Norfolk State. 7-6 center Mamadou Ndiaye led UCI with 21 points, nine rebounds and five blocked shots. The victory wasย head coach Russell Turner's 100 career win.
North Dakota State enters the Invitational with a 10-3 record and riding a five-game winning streak. The Bison are also former Sun Bowl champions, winning in 2017 with a 63-51 victory over UTEP.
BELMONT BREAKDOWN
UCI dips back into non-conference for the final three games of 2025 starting with the final non-conference home match-up in the Bren versus Belmont.
The teams battled to a 92-84 UCI win a year ago in Nashville putting UCI to 2-0 all-time in the series. All three contestsย have taken place on December the 19th.
The Bruins, who were 22-11 last year finishing fourth in the Missouri Valley Conference, have shot out to an 11-1 start to 2025-26. They won their first eight before falling to Richmond and getting back on track with wins over Middle Tennessee, UIC and Evansville 83-78 on Tuesday night.
Belmont can attribute their success to the 8th-best FG defense in the nation, 17th-most defensive rebounds a game, and Nic McClain's 72 assists which are sixth most in the country. The Bruins are led by Tyler Lundblade's 15.9 points per game which includes 3.73 three-pointers made per game which is sixth nationally. Sam Orme follows with a 14.0 points and 6.4 rebound average.
Belmont averages 10.7 made three-pointers per game.
SUN BOWL INVITATIONAL ON THE HORIZON
The Anteaters will conclude non-conference play shortly after Friday's game with Belmont heading to El Paso, Texas for the Weststar Don Haskins Sun Bown Invitational. It's the fourth time UCI has been part of the tournament winning the event in 2015 and returning this year for the first time since 2019.
UCI opens against North Dakota State, a school UCI hasn't seen since the 70s when the sides met four times and UCI won three. The Bison are 8-3 to this point under 12th-year head coach David Richman including wins over CSUN and Bakersfield and a loss to UC Davis. They are driven by Damari Wheeler-Thomas (15.1 PPG) and Markhi Strickland (14.6 PPG) with a solid core rounded out by Trevian Carson averaging 10.7 PPG while leading the team in rebounding and steals.
The rest of the bracket includes hosts UTEP and Norfolk State who play Sunday with the 'Eaters matching up against one of them Monday.
UCI's last Sun Bowl game was a 61-67 loss to UTEP in 2019.
The Miners are 3-6, dropping their last four, including a 61-67 loss at Hawai'i on Dec. 13. UTEP is led by Elijah Jones (14.5 PPG).
The Spartans are 4-7 on the year and will face Grambling and Jackson State at the 2025 Chris Paul HBCU Challenge in Atlanta, GA Thursday and Friday before heading to El Paso. Anthony McComb II leads the way in points (16.5 PPG), rebounds (5.2 RPG), steals (17), and blocks (6). Last year, Norfolk State won the MEAC Championship was a 2025 NCAA Tournament participant, falling to eventual national champion Florida 69-95 in the first round.
NATIONALLY SPEAKING
The Anteaters are among the nation's leaders in several categories including second in FG percentage defense (35.2%), fourth in blocks per game (6.7), 6th in defensive rebounds per game (31.09), 15th in rebounds per game (43.00) and 18th in scoring defense (63.9). .
Senior Kyle Evans is third in total blocks (35) and in blocking average (3.18). He is 60th in double-doubles with three this season and 63rd in total rebounds (88).
BOLD START TO BIG WEST PLAY
UC Irvine started the Big West schedule with wins over UC Riverside and CSUN, kicking off the conference slate with a 73-60 victory over UC Riverside.
UCI knocked down a season-high 10 three-pointers with a season-best 55.5 percent (10-18) from long range.Six different UCI players drained a three-pointer against the Highlanders.
Forward Kyle Evans led the Anteaters, scoring 19 points, grabbing eight rebounds and adding five blocks. The senior went 7-11 from the floor, including knocking down his first career three-pointer.
Guard Jurian Dixon totaled 16 points, going 4-5 from deep and 6-9 from the floor overall. Jovan Jester Jr. and Andre Henry and both had double figure points off the bench, with Jester Jr. putting in 13 on 4-5 shooting, including two threes and Henry adding 10 on 3-4 from the field with a three. The duo each had four rebounds.
Guard Derin Saran scored nine of his team-high 17 points in the final 4:36 of the game to help UC Irvine secure an 85-71 victory over the Matadors to round out the first weekend of Big West action.
The Anteaters finished the win on a 17-4 run in the last five minutes, holding CSUN scoreless for the last 1:49 of play. The Anteaters shot 53.1 percent from the floor (17-32) in the second half, outscoring CSUN 48-30. UCI held the Matadors to 31.4 percent shooting from the field (11-35) in the final 20 minutes and just one three-pointer in the second (1-8).
Saran ended the night 7-15 from the floor, including two three-pointers plus a free throw for his 17 points. He also grabbed six rebounds, three assists and a steal.
Evans recorded his third double-double of the season, pulling down a career-high 16 rebounds and scoring 12 points.
DEFEND THE BREN
Since 2017-18, UCI is 83-26 (.761) at the Bren Events Center.
Last year, the 'Eaters went 12-2 in Irvine, tying the single-season school record for home wins.
This year, the Anteaters are 2-0 with a +16.5 scoring margin at the Bren. They have 13 more home games on their schedule.
ย
Belmont (11-1) vs UC Irvine (7-4)
Bren Events Center (5,000) - Irvine, Calif.
Friday, Dec. 19 - 6:00 PM PT | ESPN+ | KLAA AM830 |ย Live Stats
Weststar Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational
North Dakota Stateย (10-3) vs. UC Irvine (7-4)
Don Haskins Center (12,000) โ El Paso, TX
Sunday, Dec. 21 - 4:00 PM PT | YouTube| Live Stats
UC Irvine vs Norfolk State (4-7) or UTEP (3-6)
Don Haskins Center (12,000) โ El Paso, TX
Monday, Dec. 22 - 4:00 or 6:00 PM PT | YouTube | Live Statsย
UC Irvine men's basketball embarks on their final non-conference push with three games in four days over two states. The Bren Events Center will see its final game of 2025 Friday (Dec. 19) with the Anteaters hosting Belmont of the Missouri Valley Conference at 6:00 p.m. UC Irvine then heads to El Paso, Texas for the Weststar Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational taking on North Dakota State on Sunday (Dec. 21) and wrapping it up the next day against either Norfolk State or UTEP.
STORYLINES
UC Irvine is 7-4 overall and enters the week on a four-game winning streak.
The Anteaters have been idle since beating CSUN 85-71 on Dec. 6.
Friday's game against Belmont features two of the best defensive teams in the country. UCI is currently second in the nation in field goal percentage defense (35.2), while the Bruins are eighth (36.7).
UC Irvine has held opponents to under .317 shooting from the floor three of the last four games.
The Bruins are ranked fifth in the CollegeInsider.com Mid Major poll after beginning the year with a 11-1 record. They have won the last three with the lone loss coming against Richmond, 76-84 at home.
The Anteaters close out the non-conference schedule at the WestStar Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational, ย the oldest holiday collegiate basketball tournament in the country. It is UCI's fourth appearance at the event, going 4-2 overall.
UCI captured the 2015 title with an 80-62 win over Norfolk State. 7-6 center Mamadou Ndiaye led UCI with 21 points, nine rebounds and five blocked shots. The victory wasย head coach Russell Turner's 100 career win.
North Dakota State enters the Invitational with a 10-3 record and riding a five-game winning streak. The Bison are also former Sun Bowl champions, winning in 2017 with a 63-51 victory over UTEP.
BELMONT BREAKDOWN
UCI dips back into non-conference for the final three games of 2025 starting with the final non-conference home match-up in the Bren versus Belmont.
The teams battled to a 92-84 UCI win a year ago in Nashville putting UCI to 2-0 all-time in the series. All three contestsย have taken place on December the 19th.
The Bruins, who were 22-11 last year finishing fourth in the Missouri Valley Conference, have shot out to an 11-1 start to 2025-26. They won their first eight before falling to Richmond and getting back on track with wins over Middle Tennessee, UIC and Evansville 83-78 on Tuesday night.
Belmont can attribute their success to the 8th-best FG defense in the nation, 17th-most defensive rebounds a game, and Nic McClain's 72 assists which are sixth most in the country. The Bruins are led by Tyler Lundblade's 15.9 points per game which includes 3.73 three-pointers made per game which is sixth nationally. Sam Orme follows with a 14.0 points and 6.4 rebound average.
Belmont averages 10.7 made three-pointers per game.
SUN BOWL INVITATIONAL ON THE HORIZON
The Anteaters will conclude non-conference play shortly after Friday's game with Belmont heading to El Paso, Texas for the Weststar Don Haskins Sun Bown Invitational. It's the fourth time UCI has been part of the tournament winning the event in 2015 and returning this year for the first time since 2019.
UCI opens against North Dakota State, a school UCI hasn't seen since the 70s when the sides met four times and UCI won three. The Bison are 8-3 to this point under 12th-year head coach David Richman including wins over CSUN and Bakersfield and a loss to UC Davis. They are driven by Damari Wheeler-Thomas (15.1 PPG) and Markhi Strickland (14.6 PPG) with a solid core rounded out by Trevian Carson averaging 10.7 PPG while leading the team in rebounding and steals.
The rest of the bracket includes hosts UTEP and Norfolk State who play Sunday with the 'Eaters matching up against one of them Monday.
UCI's last Sun Bowl game was a 61-67 loss to UTEP in 2019.
The Miners are 3-6, dropping their last four, including a 61-67 loss at Hawai'i on Dec. 13. UTEP is led by Elijah Jones (14.5 PPG).
The Spartans are 4-7 on the year and will face Grambling and Jackson State at the 2025 Chris Paul HBCU Challenge in Atlanta, GA Thursday and Friday before heading to El Paso. Anthony McComb II leads the way in points (16.5 PPG), rebounds (5.2 RPG), steals (17), and blocks (6). Last year, Norfolk State won the MEAC Championship was a 2025 NCAA Tournament participant, falling to eventual national champion Florida 69-95 in the first round.
NATIONALLY SPEAKING
The Anteaters are among the nation's leaders in several categories including second in FG percentage defense (35.2%), fourth in blocks per game (6.7), 6th in defensive rebounds per game (31.09), 15th in rebounds per game (43.00) and 18th in scoring defense (63.9). .
Senior Kyle Evans is third in total blocks (35) and in blocking average (3.18). He is 60th in double-doubles with three this season and 63rd in total rebounds (88).
BOLD START TO BIG WEST PLAY
UC Irvine started the Big West schedule with wins over UC Riverside and CSUN, kicking off the conference slate with a 73-60 victory over UC Riverside.
UCI knocked down a season-high 10 three-pointers with a season-best 55.5 percent (10-18) from long range.Six different UCI players drained a three-pointer against the Highlanders.
Forward Kyle Evans led the Anteaters, scoring 19 points, grabbing eight rebounds and adding five blocks. The senior went 7-11 from the floor, including knocking down his first career three-pointer.
Guard Jurian Dixon totaled 16 points, going 4-5 from deep and 6-9 from the floor overall. Jovan Jester Jr. and Andre Henry and both had double figure points off the bench, with Jester Jr. putting in 13 on 4-5 shooting, including two threes and Henry adding 10 on 3-4 from the field with a three. The duo each had four rebounds.
Guard Derin Saran scored nine of his team-high 17 points in the final 4:36 of the game to help UC Irvine secure an 85-71 victory over the Matadors to round out the first weekend of Big West action.
The Anteaters finished the win on a 17-4 run in the last five minutes, holding CSUN scoreless for the last 1:49 of play. The Anteaters shot 53.1 percent from the floor (17-32) in the second half, outscoring CSUN 48-30. UCI held the Matadors to 31.4 percent shooting from the field (11-35) in the final 20 minutes and just one three-pointer in the second (1-8).
Saran ended the night 7-15 from the floor, including two three-pointers plus a free throw for his 17 points. He also grabbed six rebounds, three assists and a steal.
Evans recorded his third double-double of the season, pulling down a career-high 16 rebounds and scoring 12 points.
DEFEND THE BREN
Since 2017-18, UCI is 83-26 (.761) at the Bren Events Center.
Last year, the 'Eaters went 12-2 in Irvine, tying the single-season school record for home wins.
This year, the Anteaters are 2-0 with a +16.5 scoring margin at the Bren. They have 13 more home games on their schedule.
ย
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballFriday, March 27
Thursday, March 26
Monday, March 23
Friday, March 06
