IRVINE, Calif. (Interstat) — UC San Diego held off a late UC Irvine rally to earn a 71-69 men’s basketball victory Saturday at Bren Events Center. The Tritons built a 36-29 halftime lead behind efficient shooting, connecting on 10 of 25 three-pointers for the game. The Anteaters stormed back in the second half, outscoring UC San Diego 40-35, but fell just short. Jurian Dixon led all scorers with 22 points for UC Irvine. Hudson Mayes paced UC San Diego with 17 points. UC San Diego improved to 19-9 overall. UC Irvine fell to 18-10. An announced crowd of 3,750 attended the Big West Conference game.

IRVINE, Calif. (Interstat) — In a tense, defensive struggle that came down to the final possession, the UC San Diego Tritons avenged a narrow loss from earlier in the season by edging the UC Irvine Anteaters 71-69 in a pivotal Big West Conference men’s basketball game Saturday night at Bren Events Center. A crowd of 3,750 watched as the Tritons, who lost by two points to Irvine at home just four weeks prior, built a substantial first-half lead, weathered a furious second-half rally by the Anteaters, and made critical free throws in the final seconds to secure the road victory. The win improved UC San Diego to 19-9 overall, while UC Irvine fell to 18-10, tightening the conference standings with the regular season winding down. The game’s defining characteristic was a stark contrast in halves. UC San Diego, led by a balanced offensive attack and disruptive defense, controlled the opening period. The Tritons shot efficiently from beyond the arc, hitting 6 of 13 three-point attempts in the half, and capitalized on eight Irvine turnovers to build a 36-29 lead at the break. Hudson Mayes and Alex Chaikin each had 10 points by halftime for the Tritons, while Jurian Dixon kept the Anteaters within striking distance with 10 of his own. The second half, however, belonged almost entirely to Dixon and a resurgent Irvine squad. The Anteaters, fueled by the home crowd, chipped away at the deficit with increased defensive pressure. Dixon, a 6-foot-5 guard from San Diego, caught fire, scoring 12 of his game-high 22 points in the second period. His driving layup with 8:44 remaining gave Irvine its first lead since the opening minute at 49-47, capping a 20-11 run to start the half. The game then evolved into a tense back-and-forth affair featuring eight lead changes. Andre Henry provided crucial support for Irvine, scoring all 15 of his points after halftime, including a trio of three-pointers. His triple from the wing with 2:52 left put the Anteaters ahead 63-60, seeming to swing momentum firmly in the home team’s favor. UC San Diego, demonstrating the poise that has defined its season, refused to fold. Mayes answered with a tough layup, and after an Irvine miss, the Tritons worked the ball to Chaikin, who drained a critical three-pointer from the top of the key to put UC San Diego back in front 65-63 with 3:48 remaining. The most important sequence of the game unfolded in the final 13 seconds. With UC San Diego clinging to a 68-66 lead after a Mayes layup, Irvine called timeout to set up a final play. The ball naturally found Dixon, who launched a deep three-pointer over a defender with five seconds remaining. The shot missed, but in the scramble for the rebound, UC Irvine’s Derin Saran was called for a foul on UC San Diego’s Leo Beath, sending the Triton forward to the line for a one-and-one opportunity with four seconds on the clock. Amidst a deafening roar from the Irvine faithful, Beath, a junior from Malibu, California, calmly sank both free throws to extend the lead to 70-66. Irvine rushed the ball upcourt, and Dixon managed to bank in a desperation three-pointer at the buzzer for the final margin, but it was too little, too late. Statistically, the game was a study in efficiency overcoming volume. UC San Diego won despite taking eight fewer field goal attempts. The Tritons were more accurate from the floor (44.1% to 41.8%), from three-point range (40% to 44.4%), and crucially, from the free throw line, making 9 of 11 attempts compared to Irvine’s 5 of 7. The Anteaters won the battle on the offensive glass, 13-10, but could not translate those extra chances into enough points. Mayes led the Tritons with 17 points, four assists, and a block in 30 minutes. Chaikin added 15 points, all of which came in key moments, while Tom Beattie contributed 11 points and four assists. For UC Irvine, Dixon’s 22-point, four-assist effort was central, supported by Henry’s 15 and 12 points, four assists, and three blocks from center Kyle Evans. The victory marks a significant step for UC San Diego in the competitive Big West landscape, completing a season split with one of the conference’s traditional powers and securing a vital road win. Both teams continue their conference schedules on Thursday, with UC San Diego hosting Cal State Bakersfield and UC Irvine traveling to face Cal State Northridge.

IRVINE, Calif. (Interstat) — A critical Big West Conference matchup with postseason implications is set for Saturday when the UC Irvine Anteaters host the UC San Diego Tritons at the Bren Events Center. Both teams enter the Feb. 21 contest with nearly identical records and plenty to prove. The Tritons (18-9 overall) hold a slight edge in the standings over the Anteaters (17-9), adding high stakes to the league showdown. The game is a quick rematch of a tense Jan. 24 meeting, which UC Irvine won 61-59 on UC San Diego’s home floor. That result is sure to fuel the visiting Tritons, who have won three of their last four games, including a 72-66 victory over UC Riverside on Feb. 14. UC San Diego will lean on guard Hudson Mayes, who is coming off a standout 24-point, four-assist performance in the win over UC Riverside. Over his last three games, Mayes has averaged 18 points, demonstrating his role as a primary offensive catalyst. UC Irvine counters with its own potent scorer in Andre Henry. The guard poured in 19 points in just 24 minutes during the Anteaters’ 86-65 rout of Cal State Fullerton on Feb. 14. Henry also scored 12 points in the first victory over the Tritons this season. The Anteaters have been strong at home, while the Tritons look to avenge their narrow January loss. With the conference tournament seeding on the line, the matchup promises a tightly contested battle between two of the Big West’s top teams. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. PST at the Bren Events Center.