Their disbelieving eyes widened and can-this-be-real smiles spread across their features.

It was 6 minutes, 32 seconds into UC Irvine's basketball game with the University of Hawai'i last night and the Anteaters had the kind of incredulous looks you imagine jewel thieves get when the door is open, the counters are unlocked and nobody's minding the store.

And, when it came to defending the Anteaters' outside shooting in the first half, few Rainbow Warriors were on the job early in an eventual 76-70 heist of UH.

Only after the Anteaters had made good on six of their first eight 3-point shots — and led by 11 points (18-7) with 13 minutes, 28 seconds left — did the 'Bows begin putting a hand in somebody's face, much less get serious about playing 3-point defense.

Only after the shocked oohs and aahs of the crowd of 4,169 echoed did the UH defense come out and play.

It was like, "yeah! Keep it going, man," said Chad DeCasas, who had three of the Anteaters' nine 3-pointers on a 9-of-18 shooting night. "I was surprised (at the openings)."

About the only way that a smaller, younger 9-17 UCI team could beat UH in the Stan Sheriff Center was if the 8-point favorites, let them.

Darned if it didn't happen with UH's defensive indifference opening the way for a 14-point (38-24) UCI first-half lead.

It was so much like shooting fish in a barrel for the Anteaters that when there was a rare miss with 9:56 left in the first half, the crowd erupted in cheers.

Eventually the 'Bows rose to the challenge, but only after they were down by 20 points twice early in the second half. They would make quite a game of it, closing to one point, but never should have had to make that much of an ascent.

Six times this season UH has come back from second-half deficits but never had they dug themselves this deep a hole.

"We just came out too lackluster," UH guard Kareem Nitoto acknowledged. "We just looked at our opponent. I feel like we didn't respect our opponent. ... When you don't respect your opponent they jump up, hit you in the mouth just like they did today."

Left unanswered is how a 13-13 team can overlook anybody, especially somebody averaging almost 40 percent in 3-point shooting?

Yes, the 'Bows were coming off an arduous road swing, playing Thursday night in Fresno, Calif. and taking the floor here 47 hours later. But, really, how much energy does it take to put a hand in somebody's face?

As Nitoto put it, "basic defense could have solved that."

But there was little to be had early.

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8044.