By Missy Grimes
4 3 2025
Anteaters and Mocs Meet In NIT Championship Game
IRVINE, Calif. — No. 1 seed UC Irvine is headed to the NIT championship game for the first time in program history to take on the SoCon’s regular season champion in Chattanooga on Thursday Apr. 3 at 9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT). The game will be streamed nationally on ESPN.
For those in the Southern California area, there will be a viewing party of the title game inside the Bren Events Center and admission is free. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and spectators can enter through Entrance 3. The first 100 fans to arrive will receive a t-shirt or a ZOT Foam Finger. During the watch party, concessions will be available, and fans can enter to win raffle items during commercial breaks.
Chattanooga vs. [1] UC Irvine
Thursday, Apr. 3 | 6:00 p.m. PT (9:00 p.m. ET)
Hinkle Fieldhouse | Indianapolis, In.
Watch (ESPN) | Tickets | UC Irvine Game Notes | Chattanooga Game Notes
HEADED TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP!
For the first time in program history, UC Irvine has punched their name
in the NIT championship game with a slim 69-67 victory over the other remaining ranked team in No. 2 North Texas. The semifinal win marked the Anteaters fourth straight postseason win, the most in any single season history for UCI, last earning three in the 2015-16 CIT.
UC IRVINE POSTSEASON HISTORY IN THE NIT
UC Irvine clinched their ninth postseason appearance in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) as an automatic bid and their first ever No. 1 seed ranking for the Irvine Region. The Anteaters hold a 6-8 record in the tournament. UCI makes their third consecutive appearance in the postseason invitational and it is the first time where they are making three straight trips.
REPPING THE BIG WEST
UC Irvine, who won four straight games in the NIT, became the first Big West school to advance to the championship of the postseason tournament since Fresno State did so in 1983 when they eventually claimed the title. This is the farthest a Big West team has gone in the postseason since UNLV had four wins on their way to playing Duke in the 1991 NCAA Championship game. The Anteaters could also become the second ever Big West team to win the title with a win on Thursday.
SHOWING OUT FOR THE GOLDEN STATE
After the completion of second round contests on Sunday Mar. 23, UC Irvine became the last remaining men’s Division I program in NCAA sponsored postseason tournaments. Both Saint Mary’s and UCLA took second round exits in the NCAA March Madness tournament while San Francisco, Stanford, and Santa Clara dropped their second contests in the NIT.
THE MOST WINNINGEST TEAM IN PROGRAM HISTORY; LOOKING FOR 33
Some records are meant to fall and no better time than now. UC Irvine won their 32nd game of the season in the NIT semifinal, setting the new school record in single season wins. The 2024-25 Anteaters surpassed the 2018-19 squads 31-win mark and are the second team in program history and under the helm of head coach Russell Turner to earn a 30-win season. UCI could continue to add onto the mark with a win on Thursday (Apr. 3).
RARE AIR (30 WINS)
As they earned their 30th win of the season on Sunday (Mar. 23), UC Irvine joined UC San Diego as the second team in the league to reach that mark. The Big West became the second conference to have multiple 30 win teams this season meeting the SEC (Florida 34-4, Auburn 32-5, and Tennessee 30-8) in this feat. On the coaching side of things, head coach Russell Turner is one of 32 active Division I coaches that have multiple 30-win seasons with 21 of them completing their multiples all at the Division I level. Diving further, four of the 32 coaches completed the feat at mid-major schools and three of the four are currently at the mid-major level (Bryce Drew–Grand Canyon/Valprasio, Turner–UC Irvine, and Ben Jacobson–UNI).
ROAD WARRIORS
UC Irvine has won 14 true road games this season, setting a new school standard for road wins. The Anteaters 14 wins away from Irvine is the top mark nationally this season. Similarly, UCI sits tied for first nationally in most wins away from their home court with 19 (14 road and five neutral) alongside NCAA March Madness Final Four participant Auburn’s (eight road and 11 neutral).
TOP DOGS: OFFENSE VS. DEFENSE
Thursday’s game will be a battle between one of the nation’s best offensive scoring percentages (Chattanooga, 48.3) and the top scoring percentage defense (UC Irvine, 39.4). UCI ranks 10th nationally in field goal percentage defense where UTC land 24th in field goal percentage offense while maintaining the 14th best effective field goal percentage (0.565) and 43rd best scoring offense (79.6).
DISRUPT THE PASSING
Much like UC Irvine, Chattanooga is unselfish with the ball, dishing out 17.1 assists per game (15th nationally) and do so with accuracy as they have the seventh best assist-turnover ratio in the nation (1.70). Additionally, the Mocs’ Garrison Keeslar is the nation’s leader with a 5.38 assist-turnover margin. Meanwhile, the Anteaters rank 48th with 15.8 assists per game and Justin Hohn holds UCI’s best ratio mark at 1.41.
DEFEND THE THREE
UC Irvine, the Big West’s third-best three-point defending team at a 0.336 clip, will need to clamp down on beyond the arc defense as the Mocs enter the game on Thursday with the nation’s 33rd best three-point pointers per game mark standing at 9.7. Chattanooga also attempts 26.6 from long-range per game which is good for 52nd in the NCAA while they are 53rd in three-point percentage (0.363). For UTC, Honor Huff ranks first in total three-point field goals made (128), third in three-pointers per game (3.46), eighth in three-point attempts (304), and 20th in three-point percentage (42.1).
THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE FREE
The Anteaters have been sharp at the free throw line this season with 629 makes in 785 attempts and leads the Big West in free throw percentage (0.801) which is also the nation’s third best shooting clip at the line. Reaching 617 makes on Mar. 26 set the new single season record in the stat, passing the 1971-72 team’s standard of 616. UC Irvine went a perfect 13-13 at the charity stripe on Mar. 15 versus UC San Diego, their third time doing so this season (13-13 at Long Beach State on Jan. 30 and 14-14 vs. Pepperdine on Nov. 16). UCI shot a season high 33-40 from the charity stripe on Dec. 5 in the win over Cal State Bakersfield. Additionally, UC Irvine has played 20 games where opponents to just single digit makes from the line, the last versus Northern Colorado (Mar. 19). In the national standings, Bent Leuchten ranks sixth in made free throws (208) and sixth in free throw attempts (253) while Myles Che is 51st in free throw percentage (0.865).
SHARING THE BALL WELL
UC Irvine dished out 26 assists on 34 made baskets in the win over Cal Poly (Mar. 14). It is just the sixth time this season where the Anteaters have dished out 20 or more assists in a game. The ‘Eaters had their best assist rate game against CSUN on Feb. 20 with 86.4 percent of their baskets assisted (19-22). UCI is second in the Big West in both assists per game (15.79) and in conference games (16.00). Justin Hohn and Myles Che are the top distributors for the ‘Eaters, combining to give UCI a 25-4 record when either one or both of them dishes out four or more assists a game (Hohn 14-4, Che 11-0).
SINGLE SEASON REBOUNDING HEIGHTS
Senior Bent Leuchten has added another milestone onto his season as an Anteater with his 12 rebounds at UC Davis. Entering Thursday’s contest, Leuchten has 343 season rebounds which is second in the all-time single season rebounding ladder. The center needs just 10 more boards to tie the record of 353, also set by Magee (1981-82). It is the first time in 43 years that an Anteater had 300 or more rebounds in a season (last was 353 in 1981-82). Redshirt senior Devin Tillis also entered the leader board, with his 288 boards landing seventh. He is three rebounds away from sixth (291, Dave Baker — 1971-72), five from fifth (293, Jonathan Galloway — 2018-19), and 12 from fourth (300, Mark Nelson –1965-66).
PLACING IN THE SINGLE SEASON SCORING RANKS
With 584 points in 2024-25, Bent Leuchten has scored the most points in a single season since 2010-11 when Darren Moore poured in 544, the previous tenth all-time points scored in a single season with Jeff Herdman (1990-91). Leuchten is five points away from meeting Jeff Cunningham (589, 1968-69) for eighth and 15 from reaching Johnny Rogers (599, 1985-86) for seventh.
NO FOOLING AROUND; UCI ADVANCES TO NIT CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
No. 1 seed UC Irvine used a late 7-0 spurt to pull away and beat North Texas 69-67 in a semifinal of the National Invitation Tournament from Hinkle Fieldhouse Tuesday evening. The Anteaters set a school record with its 32nd victory, improving to 32-6 overall. UCI joins Duke, Florida, Houston and Auburn as the only schools with 32 or more wins this season. North Texas slid ahead 60-59 on a three-pointer with 2:07 to play before the Anteaters ignited seven in row on a Justin Hohn fall-away three-pointer as the shot-clock wound down, two Bent Leuchten free-throws and a goaltend call on the Mean Green as Myles Che found Jurian Dixon streaking down the court for a lay-up to take a 66-60 lead with 40 seconds left to play. Up by three (67-64) with six seconds to go, Leuchten was fouled and stepped to the line and made both to solidify the win. Forward Devin Tillis led four Anteaters in double-figures, recording his seventh double-double of the season with 16 points and 11 rebounds. The senior was 6-11 (0.545) from the floor including two three-pointers and 2-3 from the line. 10 of his 11 boards came on the defensive end.
THIS JUST-IN!
Justin Hohn is a UC Irvine squad leader with 446 total points and 12.1 points per game scoring. The graduate student has 66 double figure scoring games in his career, the most of any player on the Anteater squad, Hohn reached 1,300 career points in his 18-point outing versus UC San Diego on Mar. 15. The guard leads the Anteaters in both assists (141) and steals (52).
DOUBLE TROUBLE
Devin Tillis is a threat both on offense and defense for the Anteaters. The forward coverts at a high rate from the floor (190-356, 0.534) and has 25 double digit scoring games on the season. Additionally, Tillis is second on the squad in rebounds with 288 total (7.8 rpg). Tillis is second on the team with 13 career double-doubles, posting his seventh of the season versus North Texas on Apr. 1 (16 pts, 11 rebs).
THE GERMAN PAINTER
Bent Leuchten dominates at the post or in the paint whether it is scoring baskets or grabbing the ball off the glass. The center is the team’s leader off the glass, averaging 9.0 rebounds a game in 38 contests played, and paces the scoring at 15.4 points per game. Leuchten has posted double-figure scoring games in 32 games this year, the latest versus North Texas (Apr. 1) where he put up 14 points. The German has scored at least 10 or more points or pulled down at least 10 or more rebounds in 33 of those contests. Additionally, Leuchten’s career best 15 grabs off the glass against Pepperdine and reset against Belmont are an Anteater first in the 15-19 rebounds in a game category since Collin Welp pulled down 19 on the road at LMU on Dec. 17, 2020. The center is just one of seven players who have eight or more 20 point, 10 rebound efforts this season.
CHE-SANITY
At the top of the formation for the Anteaters, Myles Che helps lead the distribution effort with his 102 total assists. Che adds to the scoring effort with his 12.1 points per game and recorded his first double digit scoring game in an Anteater uniform at Northern Iowa on Nov. 10 with his ten points. The guard had his 24th double figure scoring effort of the season, 11 points in the NIT semifinal against North Texas (Apr. 1). Che previously had a 13-game double figure scoring streak that ended on Feb. 15.
FITTING RIGHT IN
Redshirt freshman guard Jurian Dixon entered the UC Irvine starting lineup on Dec. 14 at Oregon State and has proved himself on both the offensive and defensive ends. The guard averages 8.7 points per game and 2.9 rebounds per game in 37 contests. Dixon continues to have career performances or break through nights, his latest at UC Santa Barbara (Mar. 8) with personal bests in points (23) and made free throws (9).
1,000-POINT CLUB
Graduate student Justin Hohn etched his name into the UC Irvine record book as the 33rd Anteater to eclipse the 1,000-point mark. The guard reached this milestone in the victory over Towson (Nov. 30) and has 1,363 career tallies. Hohn begins his ascent in the ranks and is 22 points away from passing Will Davis II (1,384–2011-15) for 10th. Senior Bent Leuchten etched his name into the UC Irvine record book as the 34th Anteater to eclipse the 1,000-point mark. The center reached this milestone in the game against CSUN (Feb. 20) and has 1,165 career tallies. Leuchten begins his ascent in the ranks, sitting at 26th, and is 42 points away from surpassing Chris McNealy (1,207–2010-14) for 25th. Additionally, redshirt senior Devin Tillis placed his name into the UC Irvine record book as the 35th Anteater to eclipse the 1,000-point mark and third player to do so this season. The forward reached this milestone in the game against Northern Colorado (Mar. 19) and has 1,060 career tallies. He is just two points away from reaching Jaron Martin (1,062–2013-17) for 34th, four from catching Daman Starring (1,064–2010-13) for 33rd, and 22 from matching assistant coach Michael Wilder (1,082–2009-13) for 32nd.
500-REBOUND MACHINES
Redshirt senior Devin Tillis put his name into the UC Irvine record book as the 28th Anteater to reach the 500-rebound achievement. The forward reached this milestone in the win at California Baptist (Dec. 30) and has 695 career boards. Tillis continues his ascent in the ranks and entered into the top-10 in the all-time rebounding list, just three from meeting Wayne Engelstad (698, 1984-88) for ninth and 20 from matching Colin Welp (715, 2018-22) for eighth. Additionally, senior Bent Leuchten became the 29th Anteater to pull down 500 rebounds in their UCI career. The center accomplished this feat at UC Riverside (Jan. 23) and has 667 career rebounds. Leuchten lands 15th and is three boards away from chasing down Ben McDonald (670, 1980-84) for 14th and is 28 behind Tillis’ 14th spot.
KENPOM LEADERS
Out of 2306 eligible players, Bent Leuchten is 12th in free throw rate (76.2), 14th in fouls drawn per 40 minutes (7.1), 33rd in defensive rebound percentage (25.3), and 33rd in true shooting percentage (64.8). Myles Che ranks 41st in three-point percentage (0.434). Out of 364 teams, UC Irvine ranks second in two-point percentage defense (42.8), fourth in free throw percentage offense (80.5), seventh in free throw attempt/field goal attempt defense (22.2), seventh in effective field goal percentage defense (45.8), 10th in block percentage offense (6.7), 21st in adjusted efficiency defense (95.3), 22nd in assists per field goals made (60.7), 34th in average possession length defense (16.9), and 44th in offensive rebound percentage defense (26.7).
LEADING THE BIG WEST
Several Anteaters sit in the top ten of the Big West individual statistical rankings: scoring (9th, 15.4–Leuchten), rebounding (2nd, 9.0–Leuchten and 3rd, 7.8–Tillis), field goal percentage (4th, 0.546–Leuchten and 5th, 0.534–Tillis), free throw percentage (3rd, 0.865–Che and 6th, 0.822–Leuchten), three-point field goal percentage (6th, 0.363–Hohn), three-point field goals per game (9th, 2.0–Hohn), assists (5th, 3.8–Hohn), blocks (2nd, 1.3–Leuchten and 5th, 1.2–Evans), and steals (9th, 1.4–Hohn).
NATIONAL STATISTICS THROUGH 04.01.25
UC Irvine is ranked top 50 nationally in free throw percentage (3rd, 80.1), defensive rebounds per game (5th, 28.84), field goal percentage defense (10th, 39.4), free throws made per game (28th, 16.6), scoring margin (30th, 9.2), scoring defense (38th, 66.5), rebounds per game (44th, 38.18), and assists per game (48th, 15.8).
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Men’s Basketball Faces UC Irvine in NIT Championship Game Tonight
The Chattanooga Mocs men’s basketball team looks to capture the program’s first major NCAA postseason title with its first-ever appearance in the NIT title game.
CHATTANOOGA GAME NOTES
https://gomocs.com/documents/2025/4/2/38-NIT_Championship_Notes.pdf
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (April 2, 2025) — Championship opportunity awaits. The Chattanooga Mocs men’s basketball team will take the floor one last time for the 2024-25 season as they meet regional top-seed UC Irvine in the 2025 National Invitation Tournament (NIT) title game on Thursday night inside historic Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Tip-off for the championship contest is set for 9 p.m. ET and will be televised nationally on ESPN. The Mocs are the first SoCon squad to reach a major NCAA postseason tournament title game since West Virginia fell to California, 71-70, in the 1959 NCAA Tournament.
The Mocs Club and Chattanooga Athletics are hosting a “Pre-Game Social” for fans ahead of Tuesday’s semifinal game at Brothers Bar & Grill located at 910 Broad Ripple Ave., Indianapolis, IN (46220) from 5:30 – 8 p.m. ET. For those attending, you may RSVP at the link HERE.
Chattanooga (28-9) continues its longest postseason run in school history with its first-ever appearance in the NIT title game. The Mocs posted its 10th-straight victory when trailing at halftime (38-34) this season after pulling off a dramatic 80-73 victory over Loyola Chicago in the semifinals last night.
UC Irvine (32-6) has been a force across both the national and Big West landscape this season and were quality candidates for an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament after bowing out to top-seeded UC San Diego in the league title game, 75-61. The Anteaters entered postseason play No. 62 in the NET Rankings and peaked at No. 22 during the 2024-25 season.
Full game details and notes are below.
2025 NIT – Championship Game
Chattanooga (28-9) vs. (1) UC Irvine (32-6)
Date: Thurs., April 3 ∙ Time: 9 p.m.
Site: Indianapolis, Ind. (Hinkle Fieldhouse)
TV: ESPN/ESPN+ ∙ Radio: Mocs Sports Network (WFLI)
Follow: Live Stats ∙ @GoMocsMBB on X/Twitter
Game Notes: Chattanooga ∙ UC Irvine
NIT Info/Brackets
Complete 2025 NIT information including brackets are located HERE.
Chattanooga’s NIT History
NIT Appearance: 5th (first since four-straight from 1984-87)
NIT Record: 7-4 (.636)
Best NIT Finish/Run: 2025 title game… previously 1985 quarterfinals.
All-Time Series vs. UC Irvine
Previous Meetings: 3
Last Meeting: UTC 85, UCI 80 – 11/23/2007 (Anaheim, Calif.)
Record: 3-0 (1.000)
Record in Chattanooga: 1-0 (1.000)
Record in Irvine: 1-0 (1.000)
Neutral: 1-0 (1.000)
Story Lines/Notes
CHATTANOOGA PUNCHES TICKET TO NIT CHAMP FOR FIRST TIME
∙ Chattanooga (28-9) advanced to the NIT Championship game for the first time in program history after rallying for an 80-73 victory over Loyola Chicago Tuesday night inside historic Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind.
∙ The Mocs erased a halftime deficit (38-34) for the second-straight game… UTC outscored ULC 46-35 in the 2nd half… held ULC scoreless for final 2:43.
CHATTANOOGA NIT HISTORY RUNS DEEP
∙ Chattanooga is making its fifth NIT appearance in program history after four-straight berths from 1984-87… now 7-4 (.636) all-time in the NIT after Tuesday’s win… the run to the title game topped the program’s prior deepest run (1985 QF).
HUFF & BONHAM PROVIDE THE ELECTRICITY… AGAIN
∙ Trey Bonham finished with a game-high 23 points in the semifinal win.. has totaled 92 points in the NIT (23.0PPG)… ties Jake Stephens (2023 SoCon Tour.) for most points by a Moc in a single postseason tournament.
∙ Honor Huff hit a late three to put UTC ahead 77-73 with less than 35 seconds… his fourth three of the game… now leads all of DI this season in 3FGM (128).
HONOR HUFF BECOMING ALL-TIME MOC
∙ Sharpshooter Honor Huff has dazzled during the NIT… Huff has knocked down 16 threes over the four games… averaging 16.3 PPG.
∙ Huff’s 128 3FGM this season leads all of NCAA Division I… second in UTC single-season history… moved to No. 1 in NCAA in semifinal win.
∙ Huff’s 237 career 3FGM is third all-time at UTC… 3.39 career per-game average is second all-time… third all-time in 3FGA (591) & tied for eighth in 3FG% (40.1).
∙ Huff’s 1,139 points at UTC is the most for a Moc in their first two seasons… surpassed Derrick Kirce (1,113, 1990-91) during QF win.
APRIL BASKETBALL? SURE THING
∙ Chattanooga will play in the month of April for the first time in program history… latest date before last Tuesday’s (3/25) win at Bradley was 3/24/1985.
∙ The Mocs are the only current SoCon member to play in April in an NCAA-sanctioned event (Samford, 4/1/14, CIT Semis)… first SoCon school since WVU in 1959 (NCAAT vs. Cal) to play for a major title.
RECORD-BREAKING SEASON CONTINUES
∙ During the historic 2024-25 season, UTC has set new single-season program marks in multiple categories including: GMS (38); PTS (2,945); ASTS (633); FGM (1,044); FT% (76.9); TO/G (10.1); A/TO ratio (1.67).
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