IRVINE, Calif. – The University of Hawai'i men's basketball team and UC Irvine engaged in its second straight epic down-to-the-wire contest with the Anteaters pulling out an  87-76 overtime win in a nationally-televised game Thursday night at the Bren Events Center. 

With the win, UC Irvine (15-7, 8-2 Big West) seized sole possession of first place in the Big West at the midway point of the league schedule. The Rainbow Warriors, meanwhile, dropped to 15-5 overall and moved into a tie for second with UC Santa Barbara with a 7-3 mark.

UH overcame a nine-point halftime deficit and a 10-point deficit in the second half to force overtime. But UCI dominated the extra frame by out-scoring the 'Bows 15-4 with Andre Henry scoring eight of his 17 points to secure the win.

The Anteaters also got double-double performances from Kyle Evans (19 points and 11 rebounds) and Jurian Dixon (19 points and 10 rebounds). Evans, the nation's top shot blocker, added seven blocks.

UH was led by Isaac Johnson, who like the first meeting with UCI, scored all of his points after the break. Johnson finished with 17 points and drained two free throws with four seconds left to send the game to overtime. Harry Rouhliadeff poured in 15 points, while Gytis Nemeikša finished with 13. 

The 'Bows drained a season high 13 three-pointers – including three each from Rouhliadeff and Nemeiksa – and went 17-of-19 from the free throw line. But UCI dominated inside, out-scoring UH 54-20 in the paint and out-rebounding the 'Bows 52-37.

The first half was a tight one with the team's going back and forth before the Anteaters took control in the waning minutes. It was a 28-26 game after a Yacine Toumi tip-in with two minutes left. But UCI scored nine of the final 11 points of the half, capped by an Henry's three-pointer at the buzzer to take a 37-28 lead into the locker room. UH shot just 27 in the first half but stayed within striking distance with the three-ball. Six of the team's eight field goals came from beyond the arc. 

The second half was a game of alternating runs. UCI built a 45-35 advantage, but UH went on a 15-4 streak and took the lead on a Rouhliadeff bucket with 13 minutes left. UH held a 62-58 lead with seven minutes left but UCI responded with 11 unanswered to stake a 69-62 lead with less than three minutes left. 

But again UH would not fold. UH ended regulation on a 10-3 run, highlighted by a pair of three-pointers by Rouhliadeff and Johnson. After Johnson drained two free throws with 4.1 seconds left to knot the game 72-72, UCI had one last possession to win the game but Harrison Carrington's free throw line jumper rattled out at the buzzer.

The Anteaters quickly took control in overtime, scoring the first seven points, capped by Henry's three-point play following a steal and fast break layup. The 'Bows couldn't recover and fell in Irvine for the seventh straight time. 

The Rainbow Warriors round out their SoCal road trip with a game at Long Beach State on Saturday, Jan. 31. Tipoff is 1:00 p.m. PT/11:00 a.m. HT and the game will be broadcast on Spectrum Sports Net.