Outplayed from start — and starters — to finish, the Hawaii basketball team fell 71-55 to UC Irvine in the Bren Events Center in Irvine, Calif.

A Saturday night crowd of 3,148 saw the Rainbow Warrior struggle with their aim in losing both games of this two-game trip to drop to 12-8 overall and 4-5 in the Big West. The ’Bows and Cal State Bakersfield are tied for seventh. Eight of the Big West’s 11 teams qualify for the league’s postseason tournament.

The ’Bows were held to a season-low 31.1% shooting, including 27.8% on 3-point attempts. The ’Bows repeatedly misfired from close range. They missed 25 of 36 shots in the lane, including 18 of 25 layups, tips or putbacks.

“We’ve been really good, I think top 15 in the country in finishing around the rim and 2-point percentage, and today was about as poorly as any team finishing aound the rim,” UH coach Eran Ganot said.

The Anteaters, who improved to 18-3 and 8-1, scored the game’s first 11 points. The ’Bows missed their first four shots and turned the ball over three times ahead of the first media timeout.

“I think the start of the game and the finish around the rim was the story,” Ganot said.

The ’Bows, who trailed in double figures most of the second half, went on an 11-0 run to close to 48-44 on Aaron Hunkin-Claytor’s two free throws with 10:15 to play.

But the Anteaters answered with their own 11-0 surge to regain momentum. UCI guard Justin Hohn fueled that run with back-to-back 3s. On the second trey, Devin Tillis missed a shot, grabbed the rebound, missed again, secured another rebound, and then fired to Hohn on the wing.

“I do appreciate our guys fighting back to cut it to four with plenty of time,” Ganot said, “but then we had lapses to let them separate again.”

The Anteaters narrowly won the battle of the boards 42-40, but the ’Bows could not secure rebounds in key situations.

“I keep saying we’re so close and so far because we keep doing those things,” Ganot said. “We’re going to keep working and attacking it.”

UCI point guard Myles Che rebounded from a bloody nose in the first half to finish with a game-high 17 points and five assists. Tillis added 11 points and 13 rebounds. Reserve forward Kyle Evans contributed 12 points and four blocks. It was the ninth time the Anteaters held an opponent to under 60 points.

“The biggest parts of the game were the start of the game and finishing around the rim,” Ganot said. “You won’t see more layups thrown over the rim.”

The ’Bows’ scoring output matched a season low that was first accrued against Nebraska in the second round of the Diamond Head Classic.

The UH reserves accounted for 37 points, led by Akira Jacobs’ 12 points. Jacobs, who made two 3s, was the only ’Bow to score in double figures.

But the UH starters combined for 18 points on 7-for-26 shooting. Center Tanner Christensen played only two minutes in the first half after picking up his second foul.

“We tried to get him back in and get in the groove, and he picked it up pretty quickly in the second half,” Ganot said of Christensen’s third foul with 17:49 to go. Christensen had seven points and six rebounds in only 13:28.

The ’Bows also committed nine turnovers in the first half, finishing with 15 giveaways.

“If we’re making that next move, we’ve got to get smarter and more consistent,” Ganot said. “We have to be ready to go. We have to take care of the ball. And I’m surprised by the finishing around the rim.”