A typically tight battle between Hawaii and UC Irvine tonight played out much the way as the teams’ previous meeting.

The team that knocked the Rainbow Warriors out of last year’s Big West tournament rallied late in similar fashion to that March matchup, capped with the game-winning jumper from the same player — guard Max Hazzard — in the Anteaters’ 75-74 overtime victory.

UH (11-7, 2-2 BWC) turned to some hard-nosed play in front of a crowd of 3,696 to build a six-point halftime lead, then pushed it to 14 midway through the second half. But the preseason favorite Anteaters (16-5, 4-1) kept on coming.

Hazzard’s game-winner came from the free-throw line extended, a 16-footer with 9.2 seconds left.

UH, which was out of timeouts, hustled the other way and got a 3 attempt from Jack Purchase that was off the mark. Drew Buggs had a tip-in attempt come up short at the buzzer.

Earlier, guard Sheriff Drammeh had a pull-up 3 to win in regulation, but he too was off.

The Rainbows rode the hot hand of forward Purchase early (he scored 14 of his 18 points in the first half) and a by-committee approach late. Forward Zigmars Raimo added 16 points, including a career-best 8-for-9 from the foul line. Reserve guard Leland Green supplied a season-best 10 points off the bench in relief of Eddie Stansberry, who struggled for the second straight game and fouled out with six points.

Guard Evan Leonard led UCI with 17 points and seven rebounds. Hazzard added 14 and forward Tommy Rutherford scored 12. The Anteaters shot 39.1 percent in the first half, but 55.2 in the second and 62.5 in overtime to finish at an even 50 percent (30-for-60). UH finished at 38.6 percent shooting.