UC Irvine Welcomes Jacksonville State For NIT Second Round

Sunday, March 23

Irvine, CA

6:00 PM

UC Irvine

Jacksonville State

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UC Irvine Welcomes Jacksonville State For NIT Second Round

March 22, 2025 | Men's Basketball

By: Jordan Kehoe

IRVINE, Calif. -- After earning their first NIT win since 1986 on Wednesday night, No. 1 seeded UC Irvine will host Jacksonville State on Sunday Mar. 23 at 6 p.m. in the second round of the postseason tournament.

Jacksonville State at [1] UC Irvine
Sunday, Mar. 23 | 6:00 p.m. PT
Bren Events Center | Irvine, Calif.
Live Stats | Watch (ESPN+) | Tickets | UC Irvine Game Notes | Jacksonville State Game Notes

ABOUT JACKSONVILLE STATE
> Jacksonville State enters the contest with a 23-12 overall record and finished 12-6 in the Conference USA standings
> The Gamecocks have gone 3-2 in their last five outings with one of their losses to C-USA's automatic NCAA qualifier in Liberty
> Jax State went on an eight game winning streak from Jan. 16-Feb. 8 over there conference opponents
> The Gamecocks finished their non-conference schedule with an 11-6 record, 3-3 on the road and 3-3 at neutral site locations
> Jacksonville State only has one player averaging double figures led by Jaron Pierre Jr.'s 21.8 points
> Pierre Jr. shoots 261-612 from the floor (0.426), 102-264 (0.386) from three-point range, and 138-169 (0.817) while dishing a team-high 132 assists and third in both rebounds per game (5.4) and blocks (13)
> Jao Ituka, who puts up 8.8 points per game, gets to the line the second-best of any Gamecock where he is 80 percent (69-86)
> Michael Houge shoots 48.3 percent from the field (125-259) and has only made six of his 38 three-point attempts
> Houge is second on the team with 259 total rebounds, 7.4 per game
> Rounding out the eight point scorers in Quel'Ron House's 8.3 points per game while he places second on the team in both assists (87) and steals (33)
> Mason Nicholson does a lot for Jax State as he converts 63.8 percent of his shots (111-174) overall and has not made or attempted a three-pointer all season for 7.5 points per contest
> Nicholson leads the squad with 7.6 rebounds per game (265 total) and has swatted away 59 shots

UC IRVINE POSTSEASON HISTORY IN THE NIT
UC Irvine clinched their ninth postseason appearance in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) as an automatic bid and their first ever No. 1 seed ranking for the Irvine Region. The Anteaters hold a 3-8 record in the tournament. UCI makes their third consecutive appearance in the postseason invitational and it is the first time where they are making three straight trips.

WINNING IN THE NIT
With the 82-72 victory over Northern Colorado on Wednesday (Mar. 19) in the first round of the NIT, UC Irvine earned their third ever win in the postseason tournament and first in 38 years. The Anteaters other two wins in the NIT came on Mar. 12, 1982 to San Diego State (W, 70-69) and Mar. 13, 1986 to UCLA (W, 80-74), both in the first round.

IN THE HUNT: 30-WIN SEASON
Currently holding a 29-6 record on the season, UC Irvine is just one win away from its second 30-win season in program history and second under head coach Russell Turner. The last time an Anteater team reached 30-wins was in 2018-19.

MID-MAJOR POLL POSITION
The Anteaters ranks ninth in the College Insider Mid-Major poll, with their 520 total points. The Anteaters have been top 10 in the poll for 19 straight weeks this season.

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 148 career games, tying Anteater Mike Best (148, 2012-16) for second. Hohn will continue to follow behind graduate student Ofure Ujadughele's top mark of 155 games.

JOINED THE 1K CLUB
Redshirt senior Devin Tillis etched his name into the UC Irvine record book as the 35th Anteater to eclipse the 1,000-point mark and third player to do so this season. The forward reached this milestone in the game against Northern Colorado (Mar. 19) and has 1,018 career tallies.

100TH ANTEATER APPEARANCE
In Wednesday's (Mar. 19) game versus Northern Colorado, redshirt senior Devin Tillis became the fifth Anteater on the roster to make their 100th career appearance in a UC Irvine uniform, second this season. Tillis joins Bent Leuchten, Andre Henry, Justin Hohn, and Ofure Ujadughele in this feat.

NICE TO MEET YOU
UCI has not met Jacksonville State in program history. The Gamecocks are one of five teams on UCI's schedule that the Anteaters have not faced before with the others being Northern Iowa, Kennesaw State, Towson, and Northern Colorado. UC Irvine is 7-1 over the last two seasons when facing an opponent for the first time and 4-0 in 2024-25.

BATTLE OF THE BOARDS
Two strong rebounding teams in UC Irvine and Jacksonville State go head-to-head on Sunday evening. Both teams are strong off the defensive glass, as UCI pulls down 28.74 defensive boards a game, fifth in the nation, and Jax State grabs the nation's 20th best mark of 27.48. The Gamecocks also hold a 5.5 mark in rebounding margin which is 29th in the nation while the Anteaters land 55th nationally at 4.2.

THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE FREE
The Anteaters have been sharp at the free throw line this season with 591 makes in 734 attempts and leads the Big West in free throw percentage (0.805) which is also the nation's second best shooting clip at the line. UC Irvine went a perfect 13-13 at the charity stripe on Mar. 15 versus UC San Diego, their third time doing so this season (13-13 at Long Beach State on Jan. 30 and 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 20 games where opponents to just single digit makes from the line, the last versus Northern Colorado (Mar. 19). In the national standings, Bent Leuchten ranks eighth in made free throws (191) and 13th in free throw attempts (233) while Myles Che is 27th in free throw percentage (0.886).

SHARING THE BALL WELL
UC Irvine dished out 26 assists on 34 made baskets in the win over Cal Poly (Mar. 14). It is just the sixth 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 second in the Big West in both assists per game (15.80) and in conference games (16.00). Justin Hohn and Myles Che are the top distributors for the 'Eaters, combining to give UCI a 21-4 record when either one of them dishes out four or more assists a game (Hohn 12-4, Che 9-0).

EFFICIENCY IN IRVINE
Bent Leuchten is one the Big West's most efficient player with a 29.5 grade, sitting second. Leuchten ranks first in offensive rating (131.0). The center also ranks second in defensive rating (90.3), offensive box plus/minus (6.4), and overall box plus/minus (9.3).

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 Sunday's contest, Leuchten has 317 season rebounds which jumps all the way to third in the all-time single season rebounding ladder. The center is 20 boards away from matching Kevin Magee (337, 1980-81) for second. It is the first time in 43 years that an Anteater had 300 or more rebounds in a season (last was 353 in 1981-82).

PLACING IN THE SINGLE SEASON SCORING RANKS
With 542 points in 2024-25, Bent Leuchten has scored the most points in a single season since 2010-11 when Darren Moore poured in 544 which ranks tied tenth in a single season with Jeff Herdman (1990-91). Leuchten is two points away from cracking the top-10 and 29 away from meeting Jerry Green (571, 2000-01) for ninth.

POST PLAYERS SHINE IN 82-72 NIT WIN OVER NORTHERN COLORADO
No. 1 seed UC Irvine came alive late in the second half to beat Northern Colorado 82-72 in the first round of the NIT at the Bren Events Center Wednesday evening. The Anteaters out-scored the Bears 26-12 in the final 10:34 to claim their first NIT win since 1986 and first ever on their home court. Forward Devin Tillis was one shy of his career-high pouring in 24 points, going 10-15 from the floor, and knocked down three three-pointers to lead UCI. Tillis became the 35th Anteater to join the 1,000-career point scoring club and third UCI player of the season to reach this accomplishment. The redshirt senior also totaled seven rebounds and three assists in 33 minutes. Center Bent Leuchten scored 12 of his 17 points in the second half including the first six in an 8-0 run that started the final push. The senior was 8-14 from the field and had a team-best 10 rebounds to go with three blocks. UC Irvine shot 55.6 percent (15-27) from the floor in the second frame and 49.2 percent (29-59) for the game. Northern Colorado shot 15-30 (0.500) from the floor in the first half before the Anteaters limited them to just 12-37 (0.324) in the second.

THIS JUST-IN!
Justin Hohn is a UC Irvine squad leader with 408 total points and 12.0 points per game scoring. The graduate student has 64 double figure scoring games in his career, the most of any player on the Anteater squad, Hohn reached 1,300 career points in his 18-point outing versus UC San Diego on Mar. 15. The guard leads the Anteaters in both assists (127) and steals (50).

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 (175-324, 0.540) and has 23 double digit scoring games on the season. Additionally, Tillis is second on the squad in rebounds with 257 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 35 contests played, and paces the scoring at 15.5 points per game. Leuchten has posted double-figure scoring games in 29 games this year, the latest versus Northern Colorado (Mar. 19) where he put up 17 points. The German has scored at least 10 or more points or pulled down at least 10 or more rebounds in 30 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 eight 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 89 total assists. Che adds to the scoring effort with his 12.1 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 had his 21st double figure scoring effort of the season, 10 points in the Big West semifinals against Cal Poly (Mar. 14), 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 8.7 points per game and 2.8 rebounds per game in 35 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 42 over 35 contests. His 42 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 (47), Evans (42), and Chol (20). In conference contests, the trio average 9.9 defensive rebounds and 3.2 blocks per game.

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 15.5, Devin Tillis behind at 13.5, 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 to average double digits with 12.1 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 1,325 career tallies. Hohn begins his ascent in the ranks and is 60 points away from passing Will Davis II (1,384--2011-15) for 10th. 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 1,123 career tallies. Leuchten begins his ascent in the ranks, sitting at 29th, and is 14 points away from surpassing Patrick Sanders (1,136--2004-08) for 28th, 22 from going ahead of Bill Moore (1,145--1969-72) for 27th, and 26 from moving in front of Tommy Rutherford (1,148--2016-20) for 26th.

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 664 career boards. Tillis continues his ascent in the ranks and 14th in the all-time rebounding list, just six 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 641 career rebounds. Leuchten lands 15th and is 23 boards away from chasing down Tillis for 14th.

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 fifth with 147 in his career and needs eight more in order to move in front of Alex Young (154, 2012-16) for fourth.

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 sixth with 199. Hohn needs two more three-pointers to reach Jeff Herdman (201, 1987-91) for fifth.

PUT IT IN THE PAINT
UCI has outscored their opponents by 248 points when scoring in the paint (UCI 1,168, Opp. 920). The Anteaters average 33.4 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 11 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, at UC Santa Barbara--0.567, and against Cal Poly--0.557).

KENPOM LEADERS
Out of 2308 eligible players, Bent Leuchten is 12th in fouls drawn per 40 minutes (7.1), 13th in free throw rate (75.7), 24th in defensive rebound percentage (26.1), and 30th in true shooting percentage (65.0). Myles Che ranks 47th in free throw percentage (0.886). Out of 364 teams, UC Irvine ranks second in two-point percentage defense (43.0), second in free throw percentage offense (80.9), fourth in free throw attempt/field goal attempt defense (21.9), 12th in block percentage offense (6.9), 16th in effective field goal percentage defense (46.3), 21st in adjusted efficiency defense (95.4), 21st in assists per field goals made (60.6), 28th in average possession length defense (16.8), 35th in offensive rebound percentage defense (26.4), and 40th in free throw offense (22.0).

LEADING THE BIG WEST
Several Anteaters sit in the top ten of the Big West individual statistical rankings: scoring (9th, 15.5--Leuchten), rebounding (1st, 9.1--Leuchten and 3rd, 7.6--Tillis), field goal percentage (4th, 0.549--Leuchten and 5th, 0.540--Tillis), free throw percentage (1st, 0.886--Che and 6th, 0.820--Leuchten), three-point field goals per game (10th, 2.0--Hohn), assists (5th, 3.7--Hohn), blocks (2nd, 1.3--Leuchten, 6th, 1.2--Evans, and 10th, 0.8--Chol), and steals (9th, 1.5--Hohn).

NATIONAL STATISTICS THROUGH 03.21.25
UC Irvine is ranked top 50 nationally in free throw percentage (2nd, 80.5), defensive rebounds per game (5th, 28.74), field goal percentage defense (12th, 39.6), free throws made per game (20th, 16.9), scoring margin (27th, 9.7), scoring defense (36th, 66.4), assists per game (48th, 15.8), and rebounds per game (48th, 38.06).

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 62.