IRVINE, Calif. (Interstat) — In a game defined by a dominant interior presence and a dramatic late collapse, the UC Irvine Anteaters outlasted the Hawaii Warriors 87-76 in overtime Thursday night in a pivotal Big West Conference men’s basketball clash at Bren Events Center.

The contest, a rematch of a one-point Hawaii victory just 19 days prior, saw UC Irvine leverage a staggering 54-20 advantage in points in the paint and a game-altering defensive performance from center Kyle Evans to overcome a resilient Warriors squad that erased a 15-point second-half deficit to force the extra period.

Hawaii, which entered the game with a 15-4 record, appeared headed for a decisive defeat after a 10-0 UC Irvine run gave the Anteaters a 68-53 lead with just over seven minutes remaining in regulation. The Warriors’ offense, which struggled with efficiency all night, suddenly found its rhythm from beyond the arc. A critical 16-5 surge, fueled by three-pointers from Gytis Nemeiksa and Harry Rouhliadeff and capped by a deep three from Isaac Johnson with 39 seconds left, tied the game at 72-72.

The Warriors had a chance to win in the final seconds of regulation after a UC Irvine turnover, but a hurried three-point attempt by Hunter Erickson missed, sending the game to overtime before a crowd of 2,873.

The extra period belonged entirely to the Anteaters. Evans, who finished with 19 points and a monumental seven blocked shots, set the tone immediately, winning the opening tip and throwing down a dunk on the first possession. Hawaii’s offense, which shot just 33.3% from the field for the game, went stone cold, managing only four points in the five-minute overtime on 1-of-8 shooting. UC Irvine, conversely, scored on its first four possessions and put the game away with a 15-4 overtime blitz.

The most important sequence of the game unfolded in that decisive overtime period. After Evans’ opening dunk, Hawaii’s Isaac Johnson missed a layup that was aggressively challenged. On the ensuing possession, Andre Henry drew a foul and made two free throws. Following a Hawaii turnover, Henry then drove for a layup, was fouled, and completed a three-point play. In just over two minutes, UC Irvine’s 7-0 run to open overtime stretched the lead to 79-72, a margin Hawaii could not challenge as they committed two turnovers and missed their next four shots.

UC Irvine’s victory was built on a foundation of interior dominance and transition offense. Beyond the massive paint scoring disparity, the Anteaters outscored Hawaii 22-0 on fastbreak points and outrebounded them 13-7 on the offensive glass. While Hawaii connected on 13 three-pointers to UC Irvine’s 2, the Anteaters’ relentless attack inside and ability to convert defense into offense proved overwhelming.

Jurian Dixon led all scorers with 19 points for UC Irvine, while Tama Isaac orchestrated the offense with 15 points and seven assists. Andre Henry added 17 points, with several key buckets in overtime.

For Hawaii, Isaac Johnson scored 17 points and Harry Rouhliadeff added 15, but the Warriors were hampered by 15 turnovers and an offensive rating of just 88.3 points per 100 possessions. Hunter Erickson dished out eight assists but also committed seven turnovers.

The win improves UC Irvine to 15-7 overall and evens the season series with Hawaii. The Warriors fall to 15-5. Both teams continue conference play on the road Saturday, with Hawaii traveling to face Long Beach State and UC Irvine hosting Cal State Bakersfield next Thursday.

The game’s total of 163 points sailed over the pregame over/under line of 137. According to Interstat’s ELO system, UC Irvine entered the game with an 82.6% probability to win.