UC Irvine cruises to 83-69 win over Denver (Nov 12, 2017)

By AP
Published

DENVER (AP) Evan Leonard had 19 points to lead five UC Irvine players in double figures for an 83-69 win over Denver on Sunday.

Eyassu Worku scored 12 points for UC Irvine (1-1), while Tommy Rutherford, John Edgar Jr. and Justin Wertner each had 10. Rutherford also hauled in 11 rebounds to get his second career double-double.

The Anteaters broke away late in the opening half with a 16-2 run capped with a layup from Elston Jones to make it 29-16 and took a 35-25 advantage into the break. Leonard's layup early in the second half made it 41-30 and UC Irvine led by double digits the rest of the way.

It marked the season opener for Denver, which got 13 points and 10 rebounds from Daniel Amigo. Joe Rosga led the Pioneers scoring with 15 points, Elvin Rodriguez added 11 points and Jake Krafka collected 10 rebounds.