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Tom Beattie drive
Guava Press Media
68
Hawaii Hawaii 12-11,4-7 Big West
93
Winner UC Irvine Irvine 17-6,10-1 Big West
Hawaii Hawaii
12-11,4-7 Big West
68
Final
93
UC Irvine Irvine
17-6,10-1 Big West
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Hawaii Hawaii 28 40 68
UC Irvine Irvine 45 48 93

Game Recap: Men's Basketball |

Men’s Basketball Falls At First-Place UC Irvine

IRVINE, Calif.  —  The University of Hawai'i men's basketball team ran into a determined and highly-efficient UC Irvine squad in a 93-68 setback Saturday night at the Bren Events Center. The Rainbow Warriors dropped to 12-11 overall and 4-7 in the Big West while finishing the week with a road split.

UC Irvine  scored the first seven points of the game and never looked back in a wire-to-wire win. With their fourth straight win the Anteaters (17-6, 10-1) regained sole possession of first in the Big West. UCI also remained undefeated at home (9-0) and earned its first season sweep of the Rainbow Warriors since 2020. 

UC Irvine shot 61 percent for the game and scored a whopping 62 points in the paint. The 93 points were the most UH has surrendered all year. Bent Leuchten (15 points) led a balanced UCI attack that saw 11 Anteaters fill the scoring column with four finishing in double-figures. 

Despite limited minutes due to foul trouble, Bernardo da Silva led UH with 19 points and  eight rebounds, JoVon McClanahan chipped in 16 points and a team-best five assists, while Ryan Rapp eclipsed his season high for the second straight game with 15 points.

The Anteaters took control from the get-go, jumping out to a 7-0 lead a little over a minute into the game. UCI ultimately took a 45-28 lead at the break, scoring 32 of those points in the paint. UCI shot 59 percent and out-rebounded the 'Bows 21-10 in the first half.

Any thoughts at a UH comeback were squelched in the first four minutes of the second half when UCI exploded for 15 points and built its lead to as many as 25 points.  The 'Bows would get no closer than 14 points thereafter. 

The Anteaters were not only accurate from the floor, but also the free throw line where they finished 21-of-23. The 'Bows turned the ball over just eight times, but the UCI made the most of its opportunities scoring 13 points off of turnovers and finishing with a 20-0 advantage on fast break points. 

The loss was UH's sixth in its last seven visits to the Bren Events Center with five of those losses coming by double-digits. 

The Rainbow Warriors now return home for a pair of games at the SimpliFi Arena at the Stan Sheriff Center. First up is a matchup against UC San Diego on Thursday, Feb. 8. Tipoff is 7 p.m 

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