LAS VEGAS (AP) Dawson Baker and Collin Welp each scored 17 points, DJ Davis scored 14 and UC Irvine fended off UC Riverside 78-61 in the semifinals of the Big West Conference Tournament on Friday night.

The second-seeded Anteaters (18-8) will take on top-seeded UC Santa Barbara in Saturday's championship game.

Welp was just 3-of-14 from the field but added 11 of 13 from the free-throw line. UC Irvine was 26 of 30 at the line - 16 of 19 after halftime. Nearly half of Irvine's second-half points came from the line.