IRVINE, Calif. (Interstat) — Jurian Dixon scored 23 points and UC Irvine used a decisive second-half surge to pull away from Long Beach State for a 74-64 victory in a Big West Conference men’s basketball game Thursday night at Bren Events Center.

A crowd of 2,354 watched the Anteaters improve to 12-5 overall and 2-0 in conference play, while the 49ers fell to 5-11 and 1-1.

The game was a contest of contrasting efficiencies. Despite nearly identical shooting numbers from the field — UC Irvine made 24 of 56 attempts, Long Beach State 25 of 60 — the Anteaters dominated at the free-throw line and capitalized on turnovers. UC Irvine attempted 28 free throws, making 22, while Long Beach State went 10 for 13. The Anteaters also forced 13 turnovers, converting them into key transition opportunities, while committing only eight themselves.

The first half was a tightly contested affair, featuring eight lead changes. Long Beach State, led by Gavin Sykes’ early scoring, built a brief 15-11 advantage midway through the period. UC Irvine responded with a 9-0 run, fueled by five points from Dixon and a Jovan Jester three-pointer, to take a 22-17 lead. The 49ers clawed back, and a Petar Majstorovic three-pointer in the final minute sent the teams to halftime with UC Irvine holding a narrow 34-30 edge.

The most important stretch of the game came early in the second half. With UC Irvine leading 42-39, the Anteaters unleashed a game-defining 12-2 run over a four-minute span. The surge was sparked by their defensive pressure, which generated four Long Beach State turnovers during the stretch. Dixon was the catalyst, scoring seven points in the run, including a driving layup and a pair of free throws. Kyle Evans also contributed a layup, and Tama Isaac capped the run with two free throws, giving UC Irvine a commanding 54-41 lead with 11:20 remaining.

Long Beach State never recovered. The 49ers, who struggled to find consistent offense outside of Sykes and Majstorovic, could not cut the deficit below nine points for the remainder of the game. Every time the visitors made a small push, UC Irvine answered, often from the foul line. The Anteaters scored 22 of their 40 second-half points at the charity stripe, consistently stymieing any momentum from Long Beach State.

Dixon’s 23 points led all scorers. He added three assists and was a central figure in UC Irvine’s disruptive defense. Evans provided a strong interior presence with 15 points, several key rebounds and two blocks. Isaac finished with nine points, all in the second half, and Jester added eight points off the bench.

For Long Beach State, Sykes scored 21 points on 9-of-17 shooting. Majstorovic recorded 15 points and three assists, while Cole Farrell added nine points. The 49ers were hampered by a lack of ball movement, registering only five assists as a team compared to UC Irvine’s 10.

The Anteaters’ defensive effort was comprehensive, finishing with 10 steals and five blocks. Their ability to contest shots without fouling and then convert at the opposite end proved to be the fundamental difference. UC Irvine’s offensive rating of 105.3 points per 100 possessions far outpaced Long Beach State’s mark of 87.5, underscoring the efficiency gap that decided the contest.

UC Irvine now heads to Hawaii for a conference game Saturday. Long Beach State returns home to host Cal State Bakersfield on Saturday.