HONOLULU  – In a knock-down, drag-out battle, UC Irvine outlasted Hawai'i for a 75-74 overtime win in a contest between Big West heavyweights Wednesday night at the Stan Sheriff Center. Max Hazzard's jumper with 8.2 seconds proved the game winner as the Anteaters rallied past the Rainbow Warriors for the second straight year.
 
It was another classic game between the teams—for the third time in the last four meetings the game was decided by a mere point. With their second straight loss, UH dropped to 11-7 overall and 2-2 in the Big West. The Anteaters improved to 16-5 and 4-1 in league, while defeating UH for the fifth time in the last six meetings.
 
Though it was early in the conference season, the game had a post-season atmosphere throughout as the teams went back-and-forth before an energized crowd. UH had the game in its grasp with a 14-point lead in the second half and double-digit lead with less than five minutes left. But the Anteaters made six of their final eight field goals in regulation to force overtime, then made 5-of-8 shots in the extra frame, capped by Hazzard's jumper to win the game.
 
Hazzard finished with 14 points, while Evan Leonard led the Anteaters with 17. Jack Purchase scored a game-high 18 points and added seven rebounds, while Zigmars Raimo poured in 16. Leland Green came off the bench to contribute a season-best 10 points and five rebounds.
 
In a hard-fought game between both teams, UH did have opportunities to win the game. But both Sheriff Drammeh's three-pointer at the end of regulation and Purchase's long ball on UH's final possesion of overtime were off the mark. Drew Bugg's subsequent tip-in attempt on Purchase's miss, also fell just short at the buzzer.
 
The loss was all too familiar to the Rainbow Warriors. The Anteaters ended UH's season last year in the Big West Tournament quarterfinals by rallying from a double-digit deficit in the final minutes and getting a game-winner from Hazzard in a similar fashion.
 
The Rainbow Warriors will look to rebound with a contest vs. UC Davis on on Saturday, Jan. 26. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. at the Stan Sheriff Center.