The University of Hawai’i men’s basketball team lost to UC Irvine in overtime, 87-76, in a nationally televised game at the Bren Events Center on Thursday night. The win gave UC Irvine sole possession of first place in the Big West Conference with a 15-7 overall record and an 8-2 mark in league play. Hawai’i now holds a 15-5 record and is tied for second place with UC Santa Barbara at 7-3.
Hawai’i overcame deficits of nine points at halftime and ten points in the second half to force overtime. However, UC Irvine outscored the Rainbow Warriors 15-4 during the extra period, with Andre Henry contributing eight of his 17 total points in overtime.
UC Irvine also received double-double performances from Kyle Evans, who had 19 points, 11 rebounds, and seven blocks, and Jurian Dixon, who finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Evans leads the nation in shot blocking.
Isaac Johnson led Hawai’i with 17 points—all scored after halftime—and made two free throws with four seconds remaining to send the game into overtime. Harry Rouhliadeff added 15 points while Gytis Nemeikša contributed 13. The Rainbow Warriors hit a season-high of 13 three-pointers and went 17-of-19 from the free throw line but were outscored by UC Irvine in the paint (54-20) and outrebounded (52-37).
The first half saw both teams trading baskets until UC Irvine pulled ahead late, leading by nine at halftime following a buzzer-beating three-pointer by Henry. In the second half, Hawai’i took a brief lead before falling behind again but managed to tie the game at the end of regulation through key plays by Rouhliadeff and Johnson.
In overtime, UC Irvine scored quickly and maintained control as Hawai’i was unable to recover. This marks Hawai’i’s seventh consecutive loss at Irvine.
The Rainbow Warriors will continue their Southern California road trip with a game against Long Beach State on Saturday, January 31. The match is scheduled for a 1:00 p.m. PT/11:00 a.m. HT tipoff and will be broadcast on Spectrum Sports Net.
