College men’s basketball: Zots rout Fullerton

Richard Dunn

FULLERTON - It was louder in Titan Gym Saturday night for UC

Irvine’s visiting Anteaters than for Cal State Fullerton, which probably

can’t wait for the Big West Conference men’s basketball season to end.

“It always seems like a home game at Fullerton. They don’t get too

many fans here,” said UCI senior guard Jerry Green, who became the

school’s all-time leading scorer on his first bucket in the Anteaters’

72-46 Big West victory over the Titans (4-16, 1-10 in conference) before

1,102.

Green surpassed Tod Murphy (1982-86) as UCI’s career scoring king --

they were tied at 1,778 points -- on one of his patented running floaters

from 12 feet 3:20 into the game before 25 family members, relatives and

neighbors.

“It takes a lot of pressure off me,” Green said of breaking the

record. “Everybody was asking me when I’m going do it.”

For the record, Green shared game-high scoring honors with 7-foot

sophomore center Adam Parada (19 points each) as UCI (16-6, 9-2), the

defending conference champion, pulled away in the second half.

“Jerry Green played a remarkable floor game,” UCI Coach Pat Douglas

said. “Every time we needed a key bucket, he made a key bucket.”

Parada was a significant part of the game plan as UCI attacked

Fullerton down low, where the Titans had only two post players available

and have struggled this season.

“After halftime (when UCI led, 26-21), I think the first five minutes

of the second half set the tone for the rest of the half,” said Parada,

who helped the ‘Eaters outscore the Titans, 17-7, in the opening 7:14.

Jordan Harris, UCI’s 6-5 junior forward and often unsung workhorse,

grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds, including seven in the second half as

the Anteaters piled up 46 points to win easily.

“We were able to work the ball down low to Adam,” said Harris, who

also scored 12 points, hitting 4 of 5 from the field in the second half.

As the Anteaters jogged off the court and headed to the locker room to

celebrate, Harris jumped on the back of 7-2 senior backup center Dave

Korfman, once a project and now a contributor.

Korfman, with nobody guarding him at the top of the three-point line

in garbage time, attempted two three-pointers and missed them both, then

netted a third attempt from beyond the arc with 0:50 to play and the UCI

bench erupted.

“I knew one had to go in,” said Korfman, who made his first career

three-pointer. “I hesitated on the first two shots.”

Quipped a smiling Douglas: “He’s a good shooter, but we don’t exactly

run our offense with him shooting threes.”

Green, who said he’ll always remember the shot that broke the UCI

career scoring mark, was also quick not to look past the Anteaters’ next

opponent, Idaho at home Thursday at 5:35 p.m., just because Utah State

looms Feb. 9.

“Games are weird,” Green said. “Anything can happen. But we want to

focus on Idaho next and not Utah State.”

The ‘Eaters maintained their one-game lead over Utah State in the Big

West standings with their 26-point margin of victory over Cal State

Fullerton, equaling UCI’s biggest win in the series -- a 98-72 win in the

1966-67 season.