Redshirt senior Elijah Minnie . . .
Sophomore Kevin McAdoo followed close behind with 11 points off the bench and added two steals. Senior James Thompson IV and redshirt junior Boubacar Toure led Eastern with seven rebounds a-piece.
EMU started off slow, trailing UC Irvine for most of the first half, but battled back to finish the half up by three, 27-24.
The Eagles shot 40.7 percent and 27.3 percent from three-point range. Eastern was soundly out boarded in the first half 24-11.
The Green and White struggled at the midway point of the second half when the Anteaters went on a 16-0 run to take the lead back.
EMU, which was outscored in the paint 26-12, battled back late in the contest. With the game on the line, McAdoo knocked down a three ball, bringing Eastern within two with 5.2 seconds left in the game, but Cal-Irvine held on to claim win.
Eastern's loss marked the first time on the season that the Green and White finished the game with a higher shooting percentage than its opponent and yet come out on the short end. The Eagles hit 34.7 percent to the Anteater's 33.9 percent, while UC Irvine held the advantage from downtown, 35.5 percent to 26.3 percent. EMU was out rebounded 47-26, but stayed in the game thanks to forcing UC Irvine into 16 turnovers while committing just 12 of its own.
Eastern Michigan looks to close out its three-game homestand against Siena Heights University, Saturday at 2 p.m.