California Irvine Athletics

IRVINE, Calif. -- UC Irvine finished second in the Big West ledger, earning the second seed and double bye into the semifinals of the 2025 Hercules Tires Big West Championship. The Anteaters will take on the seventh-seeded Cal Poly on Friday Mar. 14 with an 8:30 p.m. tip.

[7] Cal Poly vs. [2] UC Irvine
Friday, Mar. 14 | 8:30 p.m. PT
Lee's Family Forum | Henderson, Nev.
Live Stats | Watch (ESPN2) | Tickets | UC Irvine Game Notes

ABOUT CAL POLY
> Cal Poly enters the contest with a 16-18 overall record and ended the conference slate with an 8-12 record
> The Mustangs have won five straight contests and are 10-5 since the last meeting between the two programs
> 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 5-13 record on the road this season, 3-7 against league foes away from San Luis Obispo
> The Mustangs improved to 2-0 in neutral site contests, taking down [6] UC Davis 86-76 in the first round and [3] UC Riverside 96-83 in the quarterfinals, with five players scoring in double figures
> 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 17.3 points per game (589 total) at a 52.3 rate (212-405)
> Koonce also leads off the glass with 4.9 rebounds a contest
> Jarred Hyder has tallied 463 total points in 32 contests played (14.5 ppg)
> Hyder has taken and made the most three's of any Cal Poly player (96-271, 0.354) and dishes out a team best 102 assists. His 96 triples are a single season record for the Mustangs
> Isaac Jessup puts up 11.7 points per game and is efficient beyond the arc as he converts at a 0.431 clip (93-216) while sitting second on the team with 47 steals
> Peter Bandelj rounds out the double figure scoring with 10.4 points a game
> Bandelj makes frequent trips to the free throw line where he has made 117 of his 146 attempts (117-146, 0.801) the most of any player on the team
> Koonce is complimented down low by Mac Riniker who scores 9.0 a contest, shoots 52 percent from the floor (117-226, 0.518), pulls down 4.5 boards a game, helps lead the Mustangs with 84 assists and 53
> Aaron Price Jr. has come off the bench in 30 contests to convert 53 percent of his shots from the field (58-109, 0.532) while Luka Tarlac has played in 27 games to make 51 percent of his shots (35-69, 0.507) and adds to the offensive effort with 40 assists and 31 steals
> Cayden Ward has been an x-factor during the Big West Championship, averaging nine points and eight rebounds over two games

UC IRVINE POSTSEASON HISTORY IN THE BIG WEST
UC Irvine has become dominant in the postseason in the Big West. The Anteaters hold an overall record of 38-38 through multiple rounds of league tournament. In the semifinal round, UCI holds a 9-15 record and are 0-1 against Cal Poly (3-2 overall).

ALL BIG WEST SELECTIONS
UC Irvine's starting five of Jurian Dixon, Bent Leuchten, Devin Tillis, Justin Hohn, and Myles Che each received All-Big West honors, the conference announced on Tuesday afternoon. Dixon headlined the awards as he was named the Big West's Freshman of the Year, just the seventh player in program history to win the award and first since Dawson Baker in 2021. Leuchten followed with his first career postseason award as he was named to the six man All-Big West First Team. Tillis earned a spot on the  All-Big West Second Team for his first career postseason award. Hohn and Che were selected as All-Big West Honorable Mentions to round out the Anteater accolades.

LOU HENSON AWARD FINALIST
Center Bent Leuchten has been named a finalist for the Lou Hensen Award, and honor presented annually to the top player in mid-major in college basketball. Leuchten has been a dominant force in both the offensive and defensive paint all season for UC Irvine, placing top 35 nationally in free throws (8th, 179), double-doubles (9th, 16), defensive rebounds per game (19th, 6.63), free throw attempts (20th, 217), rebounds (23rd, 290), and rebounds per game (33rd, 9.1). The center's 16 double-doubles and 9.1 rebounds per game lead the league while he lands second in blocks (42) and ninth in points per game (15.4).

NOLAN RICHARDSON AWARD FINALIST
Forward Devin Tillis has been named a finalist for the Nolan Richardson Award, and honor presented annually to a Division I player who is the heart and soul of his team and a leader on and off the court. Tillis threatened with his 13.1 points per game with 20 double figure scoring performances, six of those games ending with 20 or more tallies. On defense, the Los Angeles native finished second on the squad, third in the Big West, in rebounds per game (7.6, 235 total), and finished the regular season with five double-doubles. 

MID-MAJOR POLL POSITION
The Anteaters ranks sixth in the College Insider Mid-Major poll, with their 579 total points. The Anteaters have been top 10 in the poll for 18 straight weeks this season.

ROAD WARRIORS
UC Irvine has won 14 true road games this season, setting a new school standard for road wins. The Anteaters 14 wins away from Irvine is the top mark nationally this season. Similarly, UCI is also the nation's leader in most wins away from their home court with 17 (14 road and three neutral). 

VETERAN TALENT: CAREER GAMES PLAYED IN THE BIG WEST 
In his fifth season on the court and sixth overall with the UC Irvine squad, guard Justin Hohn has played 145 career games, tied with UNLV's Stacey Augmon (145, 1988-91) and Cal State Bakersfield's Fidelis Okereke (145, 2021-25) for fourth in the ladder. Hohn is looking to finish in second behind graduate student Ofure Ujadughele's top mark of 152 games.

LAST TIME OUT VERSUS CAL POLY (JAN. 18, 2025)
All five of UC Irvine's starters scored in double-figures as the Anteaters cruised to a 101-71 victory over Cal Poly at the Bren Events Center. UCI extended its home win streak to 20 in a row, a new school record, beginning back on Mar. 4, 2023. The high-energy, fast-paced game saw the Anteaters score a season-high 101 points, including 56 in the second half. UCI shot 53.1 percent (34-64) from the floor and made 24-26 (0.923) from the free throw line. Additionally, the 'Eaters shot 47.4 percent (9-19) from three-point range, their sixth game this season over a 40 percent mark from long-range. UCI scored 46 of their points in the paint, capitalizing on Mustang turnovers for 23 points. Forward Devin Tillis had a game-high 21 points, going 7-9 from the floor, including two three-pointers, and 5-6 from the line. He pulled down seven rebounds, had three assists, and a steal in 23 minutes of action.

DEFEND THE THREE
Cal Poly enters the game on Friday's with the nation's third best three-point pointers per game standing at 11.5. The Mustangs also attempt 31.8 from long-range per game which is good for third in the NCAA. For Cal Poly, Isaac Jessup ranks 24th 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 3.0 per game and is 16th in the nation with 263 three-point attempts. In the Big West Championship, Cal Poly is 29-60 (0.483) from long-range, hitting 18 (18-35, 0.514) against UC Riverside in the quarterfinals, paced by Hyder's eight and Jessup's six.

UP THE TEMPO
Friday's contest will feel upbeat as Cal Poly leads the nation in average possession length (14.2) and are third in adjusted tempo (74.7) according to KenPom. Additionally, the Mustangs live off fastbreak attempts, scoring 15.61 points a contest that way, ranking eighth nationally.

THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE FREE
The Anteaters have been sharp at the free throw line this season with 546 makes in 681 attempts and leads the Big West in free throw percentage (0.802) 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 played 17 games where opponents to just single digit makes from the line, the last at UC Santa Barbara (Mar. 8) and did so in four consecutive games (Dec. 19-Jan. 2). In the national standings, Bent Leuchten ranks eighth in made free throws (179) and 20th in free throw attempts (217) while Myles Che is 28th in free throw percentage (0.886). 

SHARING THE BALL WELL
UC Irvine dished out 22 assists on 27 made baskets in the win over Hawai'i (Jan. 25). It is just the fifth time this season where the Anteaters have dished out 20 or more assists in a game. The 'Eaters had their best assist rate game against CSUN on Feb. 20 with 86.4 percent of their baskets assisted (19-22). UCI is third in the Big West in assists per game (15.63) and is second in conference games (16.00). Justin Hohn and Myles Che are the top distributors for the 'Eaters, combining to give UCI a 19-4 record when either one of them dishes out four or more assists a game (Hohn 10-4, Che 9-0). 

SINGLE SEASON REBOUNDING HEIGHTS
Senior Bent Leuchten has added another milestone onto his season as an Anteater with his 12 rebounds at UC Davis. Entering Friday's semifinal contest, Leuchten has 290 season rebounds which jumps all the way to sixth in the all-time single season rebounding ladder. The center is one board away from tying Dave Baker (291, 1971-72) at fifth and would need four to go ahead of Jonathan Galloway (293, 2018-19) for fourth and 11 to pass Mark Nelson (300, 1965-66) for third.

EFFICIENCY IN IRVINE
Bent Leuchten is one the Big West's most efficient player with a 29.7 grade, sitting second. Leuchten ranks first in offensive rating (132.3). The center also ranks second in defensive rating (89.1), offensive box plus/minus (6.6), and overall box plus/minus (9.7) while sitting fifth in defensive box/plus minus (3.1).

CHASING 1K
Redshirt senior Devin Tillis enters Friday's contest with 965 career points, 35 tallies away from the achievement in his UCI career, would become the 35th Anteater to accomplish this feat in a UC Irvine uniform, the third of the season to join guard Justin Hohn and center Bent Leuchten on the list. On Feb. 22 at Cal State Bakersfield, Tillis reached the 1,000 career scorers milestone, recording 1,032 tallies between his time at UNLV and UCI.

SCHOOL RECORD 14 ROAD WINS SET IN 97-88 VICTORY AT UCSB
UC Irvine rallied hard in the second half, erasing a 13-point halftime deficit to walk away with a total team 97-88 victory against UC Santa Barbara inside The Thunderdome. The Anteaters were down by as much as 17 points in the first half but outscored the Gauchos 67-45 in the second half on the strength of 74 percent shooting from the floor (23-31) to claim the win. UCI ended the game scoring at a 57 rate (34-60, 0.567) from the field, 6-16 from three-point range (0.375), and was a near perfect 23-24 (95.8 percent) from the free throw line. Redshirt freshman Jurian Dixon recorded a career-best 23 points on 6-9 shooting, including two three-pointers, while remaining perfect from the stripe (9-9). Dixon also grabbed two rebounds, dished two assists, and had two takeaways. Forward Devin Tillis finished with 21 points, going 8-11 from the floor, with two triples (2-3), and three makes from to the line (3-3) to go along with six rebounds and an assist. UCI set a new school record as they won their nation's best 14th true road win of the season. The 'Eaters also have a combined 17 wins away from Irvine, ranking first in the nation. The Anteaters won their fifth straight contest, ending the regular season with a 27-5 overall and 17-3 in the Big West. 27 wins are the program's most since the historic 31-6 run in 2018-19.

THIS JUST-IN!
Justin Hohn is a UC Irvine squad leader with 360 total points and 11.6 points per game scoring. The graduate student has 61 double figure scoring games in his career, the most of any player on the Anteater squad, Hohn reached 1,200 career points in his seven-point outing against UC San Diego on Feb. 8. The guard leads the Anteaters in both assists (117) and steals (46).

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 (154-288, 0.535) and has 20 double digit scoring games on the season. Additionally, Tillis is second on the squad in rebounds with 235 total (7.6 rpg). Tillis is second on the team 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 9.1 rebounds a game in 32 contests played, and paces the scoring at 15.4 points per game. Leuchten has posted double-figure scoring games in 26 games this year, the latest at UC Santa Barbara (Mar. 8) where he put up 14 points. The German has scored at least 10 or more points or pulled down at least 10 or more rebounds in 27 of those contests. 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. The center is just one of seven players who have seven 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 86 total assists. Che adds to the scoring effort with his 12.5 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 had his 20th double figure scoring effort of the season, 31 points on the road at UC Davis, after seeing his 13-game double figure scoring streak ended on Feb. 15. 

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 8.8 points per game and 2.8 rebounds per game in 32 contests. Dixon continues to have career performances or break through nights, his latest at UC Santa Barbara (Mar. 8) with personal bests in points (23) and made free throws (9). 

SWAT TEAM
Junior transfer Kyle Evans registered multiple blocks in three straight contests (Nov. 29-Dec. 5) and saw his six-game block streak (Jan. 11-Jan. 30) come to an end, totaling 39 over 30 contests. His 39 swats at the rim rank sixth 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 9.7 defensive rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game. All three big men have double figure blocks on the season: Leuchten (42), Evans (39), and Chol (17). In conference contests, the trio average 9.9 defensive rebounds and 3.2 blocks per game.

WE'VE GOT FIVE ON IT
During conference games, all five UC Irvine starters are averaging double figure scoring numbers which poses a threat. Bent Leuchten tops the five players with 15.8 points per contest with dangerous 55/48/82 shooting splits. Myles Che is next up with 14.8 points in 19 games while shooting above 40 percent from the field overall (84-196, 0.429) and three-point range (31-73, 0.425). Devin Tillis lands third with 12.8 points per contest over 19 league games as he comes in second in rebounds (139). Graduate student Justin Hohn adds 11.9 points per game, leading the squad with three-pointers (40-104, 0.385), assists (78), and steals (31). Redshirt freshman Jurian Dixon rounds out the crew with 11.0 points.

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 15.4, Devin Tillis behind at 13.1, and Justin Hohn next at 11.6. While not a veteran who has played their whole career at UC Irvine, Myles Che is the fourth player on the team to average double digits with 12.5 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 1,277 career tallies. Hohn begins his ascent in the ranks and is four points away from passing Eric Wise (1,280--2008-11) for 16th, eight to go ahead of Jeff Von Letzow (1,284--1989-93) for 15th, nine to jump in front of Evan Leonard (1,285--2016-20) for 14th, and needs 31 to reach Michael Hunter (1,308--2006-10) for 13th. Additionally, senior Bent Leuchten etched his name into the UC Irvine record book as the 34th Anteater to eclipse the 1,000-point mark. The center reached this milestone in the game against CSUN (Feb. 20) and has 1,075 career tallies. Leuchten begins his ascent in the ranks and is eight points away from surpassing assistant coach Mike Wilder (1,082--2009-13) for 30th, 17 to pass Ross Schraeder (1,094--2002-06) for 29th, and 59 from catching Patrick Sanders (1,136--2004-08) for 28th.

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 642 career boards. Tillis continues his ascent in the ranks and 14th in the all-time rebounding list, just 28 from meeting Ben McDonald (670, 1980-84) for 13th. 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 614 career rebounds. Leuchten is currently tied with both Jeff Von Lutzow (614, 1989-93) and Jerry Maras (614, 1972-75) for 15th and is 28 boards away from chasing down Tillis.

STEALING THE LEAD
Guard Justin Hohn entered the top 10 in the program for steals with five takeaways at Cal Poly (Jan. 2). He ranks tied sixth Evan Leonard (2016-20) with 143 in his career and needs three more in order to move in front of Luke Nelson (145, 2013-17) for fifth.

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 tied seventh with Jaron Martin (2013-17) with 190. Hohn needs two more three-pointers to reach Evan Leonard (192, 2016-20) for sixth and 11 more to catch Jeff Herdman (201, 1987-91) for fifth.

PUT IT IN THE PAINT
UCI has outscored their opponents by 232 points when scoring in the paint (UCI 1,074, Opp. 842). The Anteaters average 33.6 points in the paint per game and have scored 40 or more points in ten games so far (Chapman--42, at Northern Iowa--48, at Weber State--44, Kennesaw State--44, at Belmont--42, at California Baptist--46, at Cal Poly--42, Cal Poly--46, UC Santa Barbara--40, at UC Santa Barbara--50).

HIGHLY EFFICIENT SHOOTING
UCI has shot over a 0.500 clip in ten contests this season (at Northern Iowa--0.550, at Weber State--0.508, versus Kennesaw State--0.516, versus Towson--0.522, at Belmont--0.525, at California Baptist--0.500, versus Cal Poly--0.531, at Cal State Fullerton--0.500, at UC Davis--0.588, and at UC Santa Barbara--0.567). 

KENPOM LEADERS
Out of 2312 eligible players, Bent Leuchten is ninth in fouls drawn per 40 minutes (7.2), tenth in free throw rate (78.5), 28th in defensive rebound percentage (25.9), and 32nd in true shooting percentage (65.3). Myles Che is 50th in free throw percentage (0.886). Out of 364 teams, UC Irvine ranks third in two-point percentage defense (42.9), fourth in free throw attempt/field goal attempt defense (22.0), fourth in free throw percentage offense (80.6), eighth in effective field goal percentage defense (45.5), 16th in adjusted efficiency defense (94.6), 16th in block percentage offense (7.0), 27th in assists per field goals made (60.2), 30th in free throw offense (22.3), 31st in average possession length defense (16.9), and 33rd in offensive rebound percentage defense (26.1). 

THE BIG WEST'S COACHING RANKS
On Saturday (Mar. 1), head coach Russell Turner earned his 314th career win in his career and in the Big West. The victory puts himself in sole possession of the third-place standing, moving in front of former UC Santa Barbara leader Bob Williams (19 seasons, 1999-917) who won 313 games in the league. 

BIG WEST GAMES PLAYED: 149 AND COUNTING
Graduate student Ofure Ujadughele rewrote Big West and school history with his appearance on Feb. 27 at Cal State Fullerton, playing in his 149th career game. The appearance marked his name in both the UC Irvine and Big West record books for most games played. Ujadughele has now played in 152 career contests.

CONTINUING TO WRITE HISTORY: 20-WIN SEASON
Holding a 27-5 record, UC Irvine has earned their 15th 20-win season in program history and 10th under head coach Russell Turner. This marks the third consecutive season with 20 or more wins as the 2022-23 squad finished the year 23-12 and ended 2023-24 at a 24-10 mark. UCI recorded their 20th win in 23 games, matching the 2000-01 squad as the fastest to accomplish the feat. The Anteaters were the first Big West team to reach this milestone in the 2024-25 season and third to do so in the nation.

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, 9.1--Leuchten and 3rd, 7.6--Tillis), field goal percentage (4th, 0.546--Leuchten and 5th, 0.535--Tillis), free throw percentage (2nd, 0.886--Che and 6th, 0.825--Leuchten), assists (5th, 3.8--Hohn), blocks (2nd, 1.3--Leuchten and 6th, 1.2--Evans), and steals (9th, 1.5--Hohn).

NATIONAL STATISTICS THROUGH 03.12.25
UC Irvine is ranked top 50 nationally in free throw percentage (4th, 80.2), defensive rebounds per game (29.03), field goal percentage defense (9th, 39.1), free throws made per game (21st, 17.1), scoring defense (28th, 65.6), scoring margin (29th, 10.2), and rebounds per game (44th, 38.28).

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 35 rank with the Anteaters next at 61.