Men’s basketball: UCI stuns Utah State

LOGAN, UTAH - Senior guard Jerry Green hit a jumper with less than

a second left to lift UC Irvine over a stunned Utah State, 67-66, in a

Big West Conference men’s basketball game at Dee Glen Smith Spectrum

Thursday night.

The Anteaters (11-4, 4-0 in the Big West Conference) remained the only

undefeated team in the circuit and snapped the Aggies’ 31-game win streak

at home. It was the third largest current home winning streak in the

nation.

UCI led, 64-63, with 38 seconds remaining. The Aggies (11-3, 3-2) had

their chance to pull ahead, but senior guard Tony Brown missed a jumper.

Sophomore forward Stanislav Zuzak was then fouled with 13 seconds

left. He hit one of two free throws to give UCI a 65-63 advantage.

The lead didn’t hold up. With 4.8 seconds left, junior guard Ronnie

Ross hit a three-pointer to lift Utah State, 66-65, before wildly happy

Aggies crowd.

It seemed like it was over for the Anteaters, but Green took a pass

from junior guard Mike Hood and dribbled across court for the

game-winning shot with two Utah State players guarding him.

Green, last year’s Big West Conference Player of the Year, finished

with a game-high 31 points. Ross led Utah State with a career-high 20

points.

UCI took a 37-33 lead at halftime, but the Aggies used a 7-0 spurt

capped by Desmond Penigar’s jumper that put Utah State ahead, 40-39.

The Anteaters answered with a 15-4 run to take their biggest lead,

54-44, with 12:23 left to play.

Mike Ahmad made two free throws, Ross hit a two-pointer and Ahmad

scored on a layup to keep Utah State in the game by cutting UCI’s lead to

54-50 with under 11 minutes left.

The Aggies came within one, 60-59, with 4:10 remaining, but Green made

an off-balanced jumper and Jordan Harris put in a layup to keep the

Anteaters ahead, 64-59, with 1:40 left.

Penigar hit two free throws and Brown got two points on a layup with

38.2 seconds left to bring the Aggies within one, 64-63.

Brown had only nine points for the Aggies. He took a 16.5 points per

game average into the contest against UCI.

Penigar, who took a team-leading 18.2 ppg average into the game, had

14 points and nine rebounds. Chad Evans pitched in with 10 points for the

Aggies.

In addition to leading UCI in scoring, Green hit five of eight

three-pointers. Also chipping in were Adam Parada (13 points, six

rebounds) and Mike Hood (nine points). J.R. Christ contributed with seven

points, all in the second half.

The Anteaters committed a season low eight turnovers.