UC Irvine 76, Hawaii 70

Published Feb. 22, 2009 7:41 a.m. ET

foxsports

Chad DeCasas had 19 points, while Eric Wise pitched in 16 points and 10 rebounds as UC Irvine managed to hold off Hawaii for a 76-70 victory Saturday night. The Anteaters (10-17) made all 11 free throws in the final two minutes to secure the win. The Rainbow Warriors (13-13) made it a one-possession affair five times in the last 3 1/2 minutes of the game, but were unable to catch the Anteaters. UC Irvine jumped out to an early lead after they made seven of their first nine 3-pointers. A 15-2 run, with UC Irvine's points all coming from beyond the arc, gave the Anteaters a comfortable first-half cushion that eventually ballooned to 16 points and finally settled into a 38-24 halftime advantage. After UC Irvine stretched its lead to 20 points early in the second half, Hawaii's slumbering offense awakened. The Rainbows went on a 20-6 run to narrow the deficit to just six points with 7:22 to play. Hawaii had four players score in double-figures, led by Kareem Nitoto's 18 points.