HONOLULU – The University of Hawai'i men's basketball team got off to a slow start and couldn't recover in a 66-49 loss to UC Irvine Saturday night at SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.
 
Much like the first meeting in January, the Anteaters, one of the top defensive teams in the country, asserted themselves early and made the Rainbow Warriors uncomfortable throughout. The end result included season lows for UH in points, field-goal percentage (.291) and three-point shooting (2-of-11).
 
Despite the loss, UH (14-12, 6-9) remained in seventh in the Big West. UC Irvine (22-4, 12-2), meanwhile, kept pace with UC San Diego at the top of the league standings.
 
Tanner Christensen led the Warriors with 11 points, but shot just 4-of-12 from the field. Ryan Rapp had 10 points and a career-high eight rebounds. Aaron Hunkin-Claytor and Gytis Nemeiksa also chipped in 10 points each.
 
Bent Leuchten scored a game-high 21 points for UC Irvine, while Devin Tillis added 15 points and seven rebounds.
 
UH got off to a rough start with turnovers on each of its first three possessions. The score was tied 8-8 early, but the Anteaters scored 10 unanswered and built their lead to as many as 15 in the first half. UCI ultimately took a 35-22 advantage into the locker room, holding UH to 32 percent shooting and a season-low first-half point total.
 
UCI scored the first four points out of the locker room to extend its lead to 17 points. UH looked to make a push and Akira Jacobs'  free throw made it a 45-35 game with 12:38 left. But  facing a stifling UCI defense, the 'Bows went scoreless for more than four minutes as the Anteaters scored seven straight and re-established an insurmountable 17-point lead.  
 
UH would get no closer than 11 points in the remaining five minutes. UH turned the ball over just four times after the break, but shot just 25 percent in the second half to seal its fate. The Anteaters completed a season sweep of the 'Bows for the second straight season. 
 
The Rainbow Warriors will have a bye on Thursday before traveling to UC San Diego for a stand-alone road game on Saturday, Feb. 22. Tipoff is 7:00 p.m. PT/5:00 p.m. HT.