Box Score | UCI Presser
IRVINE, Calif. -- UNLV narrowly defeated No. 4 seed UC Irvine 75-72 in the First Round of the 2026 National Invitational Tournament (NIT) at Bren Events Center. The Anteaters, The Big West regular-season champion, end their season with a 23-12 overall record, the fourth-straight 20+ win season for the program. The Runin' Rebels improve to 18-16 overall and take on No. 1 seed Tulsa in the second round of the NIT. 

UNLV took control early and built an 18-point lead, 29-11, their largest of the game, with 8:18 remaining in the first half. UC Irvine cut the margin to 13 points, 37-24, at halftime. The Anteaters were able to force the Runnin' Rebels to 11 turnovers in the opening stanza. 

The Anteaters closed the gap in the second half, but UNLV did not give up the lead to secure the win. Trailing by 16 points after the first five minutes after halftime, UC Irvine went on an 18-5 run, ignited by a layup from Kyle Evans and a 3-pointer from Derin Saran, to cut the deficit to three points, 53-50, with 10:40 remaining. The Anteaters clawed their way back and made it a one-point game, 73-72, with three seconds left, but the Runnin' Rebels made a pair of free throws to close the door. 

Saran led the Anteaters with 18 points and six assists, both team-highs. Harrison Carrington pitched in 14 points off the bench. Jurian Dixon contributed 13 points with seven made free throws. Evans grabbed a double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds. Evans also had two rejections to for a season total of 115 blocked shots, a Big West record.