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IRVINE, Calif. – UC Irvine held Montana to just three points in the final four minutes to help the Anteaters capture a 60-51 victory at the Bren Events Center Monday night.
 
UCI improves to 9-2 overall, its best start since the 2000-01 season, Montana goes to 5-3.
 
The Grizzlies entered the game with the nation's best field goal percentage (53.2) and were held to a .360 (18-50) mark by the Anteaters.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
>Evan Leonard tied his career-high with five three-pointers on his way to a game-high 18 points
>Tommy Rurherford had nine points and joined Jonathan Galloway with a team-best seven rebounds. Rutherford also had two blocks on the night
> Robert Cartwright swiped a game-high four steals
>Michael Oguine paced Montana with 16 points and three steals
> UCI shot 40.9 percent (20-49) from the floor and 50 percent (6-12) from long-range
> The 'Eaters held advantages in points off the bench (33-6), points in the paint (26-22), rebounds (35-33) and steals (10-9)

TURNING POINTS
FIRST HALF
>The Griz jumped out to an 10-0 start hitting their first three shots
>Evan Leonard ended the draught with a three-pointer at 14:11, 10-3
>UCI would score the next eight points to take their first lead of the game on another Leonard three at 11:17, 11-10
>The teams would remain within three points of each other the rest of the way with Leonard hitting his fourth three-pointer of the half with a minute left on the clock to give UCI a 27-26 halftime lead
 
SECOND HALF
>Montana went on a 7-0 run to take a 35-29 advantage at 15:10
>UCI would commit six turnovers in the first 12 minutes of the half and trail 37-31 
>UCI would go nearly three minutes without a score until Elston Jones had a bucket in the paint at 11:42 (39-33) then hit another at 10:51 to narrow the margin to 39-36
>A free throw by Jonathan Galloway and another Leonard trey knotted the score at 39 all with 8:43 to go
>A three-pointer and layup by Montana gave the Griz a 48-45 advantage at 4:02, but Eyassu Worku was fouled on a layup and made the free throw to even the score once again at 3:52
>Following a Michael Oguine free throw at 3:20, UCI had a basket by Tommy Rutherford (3:01), a free throw by Galloway (2:03) and a layup by Worku (1:25) to open a 53-49 lead
>Montana would call timeout, and on the next possession Leonard would steal the ball and was fouled making both free throws then Max Hazzard would steal the ball and go coast to coast with an acrobatic layup to put the Anteaters ahead 56-49
>A pair of free throws by Robert Cartwright and Leonard ended the scoring, 60-51

HEAD COACH RUSSELL TURNER ON TONIGHT'S WIN
"I'm pleased with our overall performance. In the second half we started defending and rebounding and I am impressed with the way we adjusted in the second half. Montana is a championship team and also a veteran team so for us to assert ourselves down the stretch feels good."

NOTES
>Its UCI's first win against Montana at the Bren since 1985. The Anteaters are 6-3 all-time against the Grizzles
>Leonard joins Max Hazzard with five or more three-pointers in a game this year
>UCI had 10 steals in back-to-back games, led tonight by Robert Cartwright's game-high four steals
>UCI honored six military veterans before the game in a Salute To Heroes 
 
UP NEXT
>UCI will take the week off for final exams and return to action next Saturday (Dec. 15) against Denver at the Bren Events Center. First tip at 7:00 p.m.