Cal Poly can’t slow down Irvine in second half in Big West semifinal

HENDERSON, Nevada. -No. 2 seed UC Irvine secured a 96-78 victory over No. 7 seed Cal Poly at Lee's Family Forum in Henderson, Nevada, during Friday's semifinals of the 2025 Big West Men's Basketball Championship, presented by Credit Union 1. UCI outscored CP 58-39 in the second half to clinch the win.  

The Anteaters dominated the boards, 41-23, and shot 55.7 percent (34-for-61) from the floor, including 50 percent (10-of-20) from long distance. 

UCI trailed CP by one point after 20 minutes, 39-38. The back-and-forth first half featured seven ties and six lead changes. 

Irvine outscored Cal Poly 58-39 in the second half, securing a commanding victory. The Anteaters' second half included a 19-6 run that saw the Anteaters stretch their lead from eight points to 21 points, ignited by a Myles Che 3-pointer with 8:40 remaining. In the second half, Irvine shot 21-for-34 from the field, including six 3-pointers. 

UCI had several standouts including Bent Leuchten, who led the team with 21 points and 10 rebounds for a 17th double-double for the season. Devin Tillis was also key, adding 17 points and leading the team with six assists. Justin Hohn made an impact with 15 points and four assists. 

Mac Riniker played a standout game for the Mustangs, leading the team with 22 points, making eight of 13 attempts, including three 3-pointers. Jarred Hyder delivered a solid performance, scoring 15 points on 6-of-14 shooting. 

The Anteaters will move onto the championship final to take on top-seeded UC San Diego. The two teams split their regular-season match, each winning at the other's home. The Anteaters won in La Jolla, 60-52, before the Tritons got their revenge in Irvine, 85-67.

Cal Poly ends the season 16-19 under first-year Mustangs head coach Mike DeGeorge.

The Mustangs won 12 more games than last year.

(Big West contributed to this article).