2026 Credit Union 1 Big West Men's Basketball Championship Semifinals - No. 1 seed  UC Irvine 93, No. 4 seed CSUN 78

Box Score | UCI Presser | CSUN Presser | Game Highlights
HENDERSON, Nev. -- No. 1 seed UC Irvine (23-10, 15-5 Big West) secured a 93-78 victory over No. 4 seed CSUN (20-14, 12-8 Big West) on Friday at Lee's Family Forum in the 2026 Credit Union 1 Big West Championship semifinals. The Anteaters dominated the boards with a 44-26 rebounding advantage and capitalized at the free-throw line, converting 17 of 22 attempts. CSUN found success inside, scoring 46 points in the paint.

The Anteaters advance to the Big West Championship final, Saturday, March 14 at 7 p.m. on ESPN2. 

UC Irvine established an early lead in the first half and led the game wire-to-wire. The Anteaters pushed the margin to as much as 16 points in the opening stanza. The Anteaters capitalized on efficient shooting, converting 58.1 percent on field goals and 58.3 percent on 3-pointers in the first 20 minutes, while the Matadors were limited to 40 percent. UCI took a 49-37 advantage into the locker room. 

The Matadors cut the deficit to as low as six points in the second half with 12:20 remaining, but UC Irvine pulled away to secure the decisive victory. The Anteaters grabbed their biggest lead of the game, 82-64, with 5:37 left in the game and cruised the rest of the way to prevail by 15 points. 

UC Irvine featured strong performances from several key players with Derin Saran leading the team with 23 points, connecting on 9-of-18 field goal attempts, including three 3-pointers and also had five assists and four steals. Jurian Dixon pitched in 18 points and a team-high seven assists. Kyle Evans scored 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting with eight rebounds. 

Josiah Davis emerged as a key player for the Matadors, delivering an impressive performance with 26 points, going 13-of-26 from the field, and contributing eight assists. James Evans Jr. scored 17 points off the bench, including five successful 3-pointers. Joshua O'Garro added 22 points.