UC Irvine dominates Qatar with a 105-38 blowout win in William Jones Cup- August 12, 2023
POSTED BY: Eurobasket News
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Akiva McBirney-Griffin
UC Irvine men's basketball roared to a thrilling 105-38 victory over Qatar in their opening round game of the 42nd William Jones Cup. Four Anteaters scored in double figures: Andre Henry (193-G), Dylan Thoerner (198-G), Hayden Welling (203-F), and Justin Hohn (188-G). UCI shot 42-66 (0.636) overall from the floor and held their opponent to 14-54 (0.259). The 'Eaters held the advantage off the glass with 47 rebounds. UC Irvine took advantage of all specialty stat categories scoring 14 off fast breaks, 12 off turnovers, 17 second chance points, 48 in the paint, and 55 off the bench. Guard Pierre Crockrell II dished out 11 assists in his 19 minutes on the floor. Forward Akiva McBirney-Griffin (206-F-2003) was the only Anteater to shoot perfect on the night with both of his baskets coming from long range. All 12 active players for UCI scored at least three points each. The Anteaters picked up where they left off last season on the three-point scoring, draining 15-24 (0.625) from deep with graduate student Dylan Thoerner contributing five to the effort. Andre Henry led UCI's offensive momentum with his 19 points with a perfect 6-6 made two-point baskets. Sophomore Eli Chol had an explosive afternoon both offensively and defensively, shooting at a 0.667 clip from the floor with three makes in the paint and one from three-point range. The forward blocked a game best four shots, brought down five boards, and stole the ball twice. Fifth year Dean Keeler (211-F) showed his defensive prowess in the paint with four grabs off the glass and three steals. Ofure Ujadughele and Hayden Welling led the squad in rebounds, each grabbing six on the defensive end. Hohn rounded out the double figure scorers with 10 points and maintained the Anteaters offensive momentum behind two steals and three assists. Both guard Emilis Butkus (196-G/F-2003) and forward Carter Welling contributed seven points. Redshirt sophomore Langston Redfield (190-G) led the point for most of the contest, knocking down a three-pointer and dishing out six dimes. |
