UC Irvine guard Ofure Ujadughele, center, moves past UAB forward Yaxel Lendeborg, left, to put up a shot during their NIT quarterfinal on Wednesday night, March 26, 2025, at UCI’s Bren Events Center. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
UC Irvine forward Kyle Evans reaches up to block a shot by UAB guard Alejandro Vasquez during their NIT quarterfinal on Wednesday night, March 26, 2025, at UCI’s Bren Events Center. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
UC Irvine guard Myles Che, left, pushes his way past UAB guard Tony Toney as he drives toward the basket during their NIT quarterfinal on Wednesday night, March 26, 2025, at UCI’s Bren Events Center. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
UC Irvine guard Jurian Dixon, right, takes a jump shot over UAB forward Yaxel Lendeborg during their NIT quarterfinal on Wednesday night, March 26, 2025, at UCI’s Bren Events Center. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
UC Irvine forward Devin Tillis, left, grabs a rebound in front of UAB forward Christian Coleman, center, and UC Irvine center Bent Leuchten, right, during their NIT quarterfinal on Wednesday night, March 26, 2025, at UCI’s Bren Events Center. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
UC Irvine guard Myles Che, left, celebrates a play late in the second half of their NIT quarterfinal victory over UAB on Wednesday night, March 26, 2025, at UCI’s Bren Events Center. UCI won, 81-77, in overtime. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
UC Irvine guard Ofure Ujadughele lets out a yell as he celebrates after they defeated UAB in an NIT quarterfinal on Wednesday night, March 26, 2025, at UCI’s Bren Events Center. UCI won, 81-77, in overtime. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
UC Irvine’s Justin Hohn, left, and guard Myles Che celebrate after they defeated UAB in an NIT quarterfinal on Wednesday night, March 26, 2025, at UCI’s Bren Events Center. UCI won, 81-77, in overtime. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
Show Caption1 of 8UC Irvine guard Ofure Ujadughele, center, moves past UAB forward Yaxel Lendeborg, left, to put up a shot during their NIT quarterfinal on Wednesday night, March 26, 2025, at UCI’s Bren Events Center. (Photo by Paul Rodriguez, Contributing Photographer)
ExpandIRVINE — There were 26 seconds left in overtime. Too much to start celebrating but close enough to start imagining the UC Irvine men’s basketball team could secure a spot in the semifinals of the NIT.
All the Anteaters had to do was believe they could advance.
Backed by 1,378 ardent fans and a strong history of winning basketball, the top-seeded Anteaters held off Alabama-Birmingham for an 81-77 overtime victory at the Bren Events Center to advance to the NIT Final Four for the first time in school history.
With the score tied at 77-all, guard Myles Che found center Bent Leuchten, the team’s leading scorer, inside for the go-ahead basket in the quarterfinal game with 29 seconds left. Forward Devin Tillis then made two foul shots with two seconds remaining to secure the victory.
“I’m just super impressed with my guys’ continued belief, really all year, that we could find a way because of the defensive excellence that we’ve committed,” UCI coach Russell Turner said.
UCI (31-6) will play North Texas (27-8) in a semifinal at historic Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis next Tuesday at 4 p.m. PT (ESPN). North Texas advanced with victory over Oklahoma State on Tuesday. Loyola Chicago (25-11) and Chattanooga (27-9) will meet in the second semifinal of the 32-team tournament, also on Tuesday.
“I think this is a further validation for our program of what we’ve built here, of the quality of the players that we have and the belief that we have as a program,” Turner said, choking back emotion. “I feel like we’ve shown that in the postseason each time we’ve made it. … This NIT has been different for us because we played at home, so to be able to do that here and benefit as we did tonight from the edge that the crowd creates is really special.”
Like the Anteaters’ previous victory over Jacksonville State, this was another back-and-forth affair that saw the lead change 13 times, mostly in the second half. But UCI, led by the second-half play of Jurian Dixon, Tillis and Che, eventually got by the Blazers in the final minute.
Tillis scored 20 of his game-high 22 points after halftime – five in the overtime period – and had 11 rebounds and three assists. After a quiet second half in which he scored just two points, Leuchten scored seven in overtime – and finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds.
Dixon scored 16 points and had five rebounds and Che added 13 points and five assists.
“I had the belief the whole time (that we could win),” said Tillis, who shot 7 for 15 from the field (3 for 6 from 3-point range) and 5 for 6 from the free-throw line. “I mean, we’ve had games where we’ve been down by a lot or it’s been close and tight and we’ve earned a win, so being able to have that belief is big. I never once felt like we weren’t going to win that game.”
Said Dixon: “Being able to make the final four of any postseason tournament – it might not be the NCAA Tournament, but the NIT is still a really good tournament – so, being able to put on for our community and represent everybody at UC Irvine is big for us in any way we can. It’s just fun to get a win and keep playing. There’s not a lot of teams going to be playing in April and we can say we’re one of ’em.”
The Anteaters had a chance to put the game away in regulation but Che’s 3-point attempt at the buzzer hit the side of the backboard, sending the fans back down into their seats and the game into overtime.
Turner had pulled Che late in the first half because he thought the sophomore guard was just “flopping and flopping, which he does as an expression of frustration.” Turner said the guard tends to lose focus in games.
“(But) he’s made plays like he did tonight in many games this season down the stretch, he has belief and I think our team has belief in him too that he’s earned over time,” Turner added.
The Anteaters, who had trouble with UAB’s pace all night, got the jump on the Blazers (24-13) in overtime to take a 74-71 lead. UAB came back and regained a 75-74 lead on a tip by Christian Coleman (21 points, 14 rebounds). Ja’Borri McGhee’s jumper extended the Blazers’ lead to 77-74, setting the stage for Tillis and Leuchten to secure the victory for UCI.
The Anteaters missed seven of their first eight shots to start the game, but they eventually overcame the slow start and trailed 36-31 at halftime.
It was obvious early that UCI couldn’t handle the Blazers’ pace as UAB ran out to an 11-3 lead before the Anteaters had a chance to breathe. Tillis stopped the onslaught with a layup less than five minutes into the first half.
Despite their poor shooting from the field (33.3%) and a 2-for-9 showing from 3-point range, UCI was never far behind. UAB led by as many as eight in the first half before the Anteaters pulled to within 17-16 on a three-point play by Dixon at the 11:35 mark.
The game remained close until Coleman scored three consecutive baskets to give UAB a 31-24 lead. Leuchten drilled a 3-pointer to cut into the deficit, but the Anteaters couldn’t overtake the Blazers before intermission.
Alejandro Vasquez finished with 14 points for UAB, and Yaxel Lendeborg had 13 points, 17 rebounds and four assists.
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