The UC Irvine Men’s Basketball team (23-5, 13-3) relied on dominant rebounding and timely scoring to pull away from Cal State Bakersfield (12-17, 6-11) in a 73-64 victory at the Icardo Center on Feb. 22. The win not only improved UCI’s conference record but also extended their road win total to 11, tying them with Central Connecticut State for the most road victories in the nation, both holding an 11-3 road record.
Bakersfield set the tone early, using physical defense to hold UCI scoreless for nearly six minutes. The Roadrunners capitalized with a 6-0 run led by senior forward Fidelis Okereke, who scored the first two baskets of the game. The Anteaters struggled to find their rhythm until junior forward Kyle Evans threw down a dunk at the 14:16 mark, getting UCI on the board.
A fast-break three-pointer from sophomore guard Marvin McGhee IV pushed the Roadrunners’ score into double digits at 15-7. However, Irvine responded with perimeter shooting, as sophomore guard Myles Che hit a three to stop the bleeding. Irvine redshirt freshman guard Jurian Dixon and redshirt senior forward Devin Tillis provided key contributions down the stretch, helping UCI trim the deficit. A fast break dunk from Dixon in the final seconds of the first half cut Bakersfield’s lead to 30-27 — and heading into the locker room, the score was 32-27.
The Anteaters wasted no time asserting themselves in the second half and came out with renewed energy on both ends of the floor. Irvine senior center Bent Leuchten opened the scoring with a crafty layup through traffic, setting the tone for the half. Moments later, Che knocked down a three-pointer in rhythm, cutting the deficit to just two. Sensing an opportunity to shift momentum, Leuchten took command in the paint and used his footwork and size to convert back-to-back layups. His second bucket put UCI ahead 36-34, marking their first lead of the night and igniting the Anteater bench.
From there, the game became a back-and-forth battle. Bakersfield tied the score multiple times, but Irvine’s defense tightened. Tillis and Dixon forced turnovers, while Evans and Leuchten controlled the boards. With 8:01 remaining, Bakersfield junior guard/forward Corey Stephenson was called for a technical foul, leading to three made free throws by Tillis that extended Irvine’s lead to 52-47.
Irvine graduate guard Justin Hohn then delivered the dagger, knocking down a deep three from the wing to make the score 55-47. The Roadrunners continued to battle and cut the lead to five after a transition layup by senior forward Tom Mark, but Che countered with an aggressive drive to the rim. With 1:31 left, Dixon sealed the game with a tough finish inside and a free throw, pushing UCI’s lead to 10.
UCI’s dominance on the boards can be seen with Leuchten’s 12th double-double of the season, finishing with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Dixon added 16 points, six rebounds and five assists, while Che contributed 12 points, including two three-pointers. Tillis had an all-around effort with eight points, six rebounds and two steals.
Junior guard Jemel Jones led Bakersfield with 18 points, but the Roadrunners struggled to generate consistent offense against Irvine’s defense, shooting just 42.4% from the field.
The Anteaters’ 73-64 win makes it nine straight games against Cal State Bakersfield, their longest streak in the series. They will return to action on Feb. 27, facing Cal State Fullerton in a key Big West matchup at Titan Gym.
Curtis Wang is a Sports Intern for the winter 2025 quarter. He can be reached at curtiw2@uci.edu.
Edited by Jack Fedor and Mia Noergaard.