SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — In an exciting regular-season finale, UC Irvine triumphed over UC Santa Barbara with a score of 97-88 on Saturday night, propelled by an impressive performance from Jurian Dixon. Dixon led the charge for the Anteaters with 23 points, making an efficient 6 out of 9 from the field. He was particularly sharp from the free-throw line, hitting all 9 of his attempts, and contributed two 3-pointers out of three attempts.
Adding to UC Irvine’s winning effort, Devin Tillis delivered an outstanding game with 21 points. He demonstrated accuracy across the board, going 8 for 11 in field goals, with two successful 3-point shots from three tries, and was perfect from the foul line with three successful free throws. Tillis also grabbed six rebounds. Meanwhile, Justin Hohn contributed 17 points, finding success on 7 of his 17 shots and converting two from beyond the arc.
On the opposing side, the Gauchos, with a season record of 19-12 and 11-9 in conference play, were fueled by a remarkable effort from Deuce Turner, who notched up 28 points. Colin Smith also made a significant impact, adding 18 points to the scoreboard, while Stephan D. Swenson contributed a well-rounded performance with 13 points, six rebounds, and four assists.
Looking ahead, UC Irvine, who concluded their stellar season with a 27-5 record and 17-3 in the Big West Conference, secures the No. 2 seed in the upcoming Big West Conference Tournament. Their strong position ensures they receive a double-bye into the semifinals set to take place on Friday in Henderson, Nevada. Meanwhile, UCSB is slotted as the No. 5 seed and will face off against the No. 8 seed, Cal State Bakersfield, in the opening round.
