The UC Irvine Men’s Basketball team (17-6, 10-1) defeated the University of Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors (12-11, 4-7) 93-68 in a thrilling rematch at the Bren Events Center on Saturday, Feb. 3. The two teams had faced off prior on Jan. 11, in which the Anteaters defeated the Rainbow Warriors 60-50.
The ‘Eaters came ready to play, spearheaded by fifth-year lead guard Pierre Crockrell II and junior center Bent Leuchten. UCI took an early 7-0 start, with the pair generating easy baskets. Leuchten, who won his first jump ball of the year, finished the night with 15 points, 13 of which came in the first half. Their two-man game in tandem with the two-way play from redshirt senior guard Justin Hohn and senior guard Andre Henry led to the Anteaters taking control of the game and never letting go. The two posted nine points each and used their length on the other end to disrupt the flow of the Hawaii offense.
The ‘Eaters found most of their success during the night on the defensive end, holding the ‘Bows to only 44% from the field and 22% from distance. Multiple loose balls and second-effort plays were won out by UCI, generating fast break points on a night where the visitors were unable to protect the paint. The Rainbow Warriors missed their big man, sophomore center Mor Seck, who sustained a season-ending left ACL injury last week against UCSB.
The bench unit for the Anteaters kept the ship afloat when the starters subbed out. Standout freshman guard Derin Saran and freshman forward Carter Welling contributed 12 and 14 points respectively. Saran started off quick, streaking down the court for a beautiful double-clutch layup over multiple defenders. Welling, who tied a season-high 14 off the bench for the Anteaters, controlled the paint on both ends. His poise and usage of his pivot foot led to timely and-one opportunities, showcased by his eight free-throw opportunities.
The Anteaters were determined to work the ball in the post, drawing double teams from Hawai’i and leading the Rainbow Warriors into early foul trouble in the first half. UCI capitalized on their opportunities at the charity stripe, shooting a clean 91% for the night.
It was a tough first half for the Hawai’i offense, with leading scorer senior guard Noel Coleman struggling to get anything going on offensively, ending the contest with zero points. His usual average of 14 points per game was desperately missed by the Hawai’i squad, as Henry held him scoreless for the second matchup in a row against the Anteaters. Senior guard JoVon McClanahan and senior forward Bernardo da Silva supplied timely points to keep the game from getting out of hand, finishing the night with 16 and 19 points respectively.
With UC Irvine forcing turnovers and Hawai’i being sloppy with the ball, the ‘Eaters jumped out to a 45-28 lead going into halftime.
UCI picked up right where they left off in the second half, going on another 5-0 run out of the gate. Crockrell II once again got on the board early, hitting a running floater on the baseline that got the crowd going. Henry followed up that play with a reverse layup that resulted in a three-point play.
Hawai’i trailed for most of the second half, with graduate forward Justin McKoy connecting on a pair of baskets that kept them in the game, ending the night with eight points. Hawai’i then ramped up the pressure, opting to go with a full-court press to speed up the Anteater offense.
Unfazed and led by their stellar guard play, UCI churned on, with Crockrell II once again leaving his mark on the contest. Rejecting the screen, the quick guard spun away and hit a tough midrange stepback over the outstretched hands of the Hawai’i defender. On the next possession, he sped down the court and connected with a dime to Leuchten, putting the duo’s chemistry on full display.
The score was 60-35, and with their chances looking bleak, Hawai’i went on a run, cutting the lead down to 72-57. UC Irvine was not playing with the same intensity that they had shown to start the half and head coach Russell Turner elected to sub Crockrell II back in for a change of pace.
It was there when the white-out themed students in attendance witnessed history, as Crockrell II sunk a huge three to push the lead back up to 17, the first of his tenure at UC Irvine. The corner three brought the whole crowd to their feet and returned momentum in favor of the ‘Eaters.
After the three from Crockrell II, the energy was palpable in the Bren. It was a back-and-forth affair for the remainder of the contest, but with the ‘Eaters up 20, they were content with trading baskets.
Hohn continued to get to his spots, going between the legs and coast-to-coast before finishing the play with a transition layup. Welling added to his outstanding performance in the second half, finishing the game with seven rebounds and two blocks.
Timeout was called from the side of Hawaii, the score at 82-64 with just over three minutes remaining and the game mostly out of reach. When the game resumed, Saran continued to press the issue, getting downhill before spinning into a nice finish.
UC Irvine ended the game on top of Hawaii, 93-68. It was a night of full team contributions for the Anteaters, in a game where they came ready to play.
After the game, Crockrell II reflected on his three ball that ignited the crowd.
“I put the work in,” Crockrell II said in an interview with the New University. “My teammates and my coaches put confidence in me … it did feel good to knock that down for sure.”
Coach Turner echoed this sentiment after the game.
“He works hard on his three. He’s gonna continue to play basketball for a long time,” Turner said.
With this huge home win, the ‘Eaters now move to 10-1 in conference play and improve to 9-0 at home. They hope to continue their four-game win streak on the road on Thursday, Feb. 8 against UC Santa Barbara.
Jason Garcia Escobar is a Sports Staff Writer. He can be reached at jasonag3@uci.edu.
Jaden Hunter is a Sports Intern for the winter 2024 quarter. He can be reached at jadenh2@uci.edu.