UCI earns a trip to the Big Dance again after winning Big West Conference tourney

UCI’s players and coaches pose for a team picture after Saturday’s Big West finals. The Anteaters face Kansas State Friday in the South Regional (Photo courtesy Steve Zylius, UCI Communications)

UC Irvine basketball players and fans took their time celebrating late Saturday night on the floor of the Honda Center following the Big West Conference championship game.

For good reason.

To see the slide show, please click on the first photo

They had plenty to celebrate after the top-seeded Anteaters secured the school’s second trip to the NCAA Tournament with an impressive 92-64 victory over No. 3 Cal State Fullerton in front of 5,867 fans at Honda Center and a national TV audience watching on ESPN2.

Anteater fans stormed the court to join in the celebration and to follow the awards presentation. It culminated with each player and Coach Russell Turner taking turns at cutting down the net.

UCI advances to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2015 and finds out Sunday at 3 p.m. during the selection show who it will play.

(To see who the Anteaters are playing, please click here)

Tournament MVP Max Hazzard and freshman forward Collin Welp each scored 23 points to lead UCI, which added to its school in wins (30-5). Hazzard made 5 of 6 3-point field goals and connected on 8 of 11 overall field goals. He also had five assists.

“It feels better winning (the game) honestly,” Hazzard said when asked about the MVP award.

Welp and Evan Leonard were named to the all-tournament team along with Khalil Ahmad and Kyle Allman Jr. of Cal State Fullerton.

“It was really special,” said UCI’s Jonathan Galloway, who had seven points. “Me and my teammates and our coaching staff set out before the season started all the way back to Korea (an off-season tournament) and to accomplish it is really special and I’m going to enjoy this moment with my teammates.”

It was an amazing first half performance by the Anteaters, who took control of the game by outscoring Cal State Fullerton 42-24 on their way to extending their school record winning streak to 16.

The Titans led in the first three minutes, but it was all UCI after that. The Anteaters seemed determined to not let history repeat itself. Cal State Fullerton defeated UCI 71-55 in the Big West Tourney title game last year to earn the school’s third trip to the NCAA tournament.

UCI came in having lost six of the last seven Big West tournament title games and the last two.

But it was clear early on it was going to be a different outcome and one Anteater fans were hoping for ever since UCI won the Big West regular season title with a 15-1 record.

The 28-point difference was the largest in the championship game history, topping the previous record of 25 set by UNLV over San Jose State (94-69) in 1987.

“Max’s early performance with the three 3’s I think set the tone that our guys were ready to compete and perform,” said UCI Coach Russell Turner. “They made a couple tough baskets on us to start the game but when we played this team this year we consistently dominated with our defense.

“So there was nothing that we did tonight that surprised me. You don’t come in expecting to have the kind of offensive performance we had shooting 60 percent but I knew it was possible and I just credit these guys. It’s a whole team effort that led to that. I thought everybody was locked in and I felt I had a mature and experienced team that was prepared for a great performance and that’s what we ended up delivering.”

UCI wound up making 61.8 perent of its field goal attempts whole Cal State Fullerton connected on just 41.2 percent. UCI also out-rebounded Fullerton 30-25.

Robert Cartwright and Evan Leonard added 10 points each for UCI.

The Titans were led by Allman Jr. with 16 points, Austen Awosika with 13 points and Jackson Rowe with 12 points.

Also named to the all-tournament team was Deishaun Booker of Long Beach State.

UCI HOLDING PUBLIC VIEWING PARTY TODAY ON CAMPUS

-Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com