UCI still looking for a ‘w’

Steve Virgen

Even though the UC Irvine men’s basketball team has four returning

starters, it became apparent Saturday that time and more games are

the only answers to the Anteaters’ current problem. UCI, still

waiting to gel as team, lost its second straight in as many games, a

73-62 setback to Western Michigan in the third-place game of the

Sooner Invitational at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Okla.

“I thought our identity was our inside play,” said UCI Coach Pat

Douglass, who noted the Anteaters struggled to find their identity.

“Western Michigan did a great job of sealing inside and got us into

foul trouble. They did a great job defensively.”

This time, foul trouble as well as a failure to match the Broncos’

physical play led to the loss for the Anteaters (0-2). UCI junior

center Adam Parada, who scored a game-high 19 points in the Anteaters’ 87-65 loss to No. 7 Oklahoma Friday night, picked up his

second foul with 11:48 remaining in the first half. He was pulled out

of the game, but then re-entered with 8:34 left before halftime, and

committed an offensive foul for his third with 5:25 left. He sat the

rest of the half, as Western Michigan led 32-30, going into the

locker room.

Parada did not start the second half, and when he entered the game

it took him only one minute to pick up his fourth foul, a call that

came after a 3-minute discussion between officials. One referee

called Parada for an offensive foul, while another official whistled

a defensive blocking foul, and after the discussion the officials

called a double foul.

While Parada played tentatively and cautiously with three and then

four fouls, the Broncos took advantage. Western Michigan forward Mike

Williams, a junior college All-American transfer, scored a game-high

25 points on 8-of-11 shooting from the field. He also made 9 of 10

free throws, recorded three steals and grabbed a game-high nine

points.

“Mike Williams played the way we expect from him,” Western

Michigan Coach Robert McCullum said. “We came out more aggressive

than we did last night.

Our key factor was when (Parada) picked up two fouls and (the

Anteaters) had to alter their game. They rolled the dice and put him

back in and he picked up his third foul. I thought that was a key for

us.”

Western Michigan built a 57-47 lead with 9:40 left, and two

minutes later, Parada fouled out after coming down on the Broncos’

Anthony Kann on a rebound.

The Broncos earned its biggest lead of the game, 54-65, as they

went into a spread offense to run down the clock with 4:48 remaining.

UCI guard Jeff Gloger, a redshirt freshman who scored nine points,

provided a spark off the bench in the second half. He stepped in

front of a pass for a steal, raced down the court and was fouled

while sinking in a layup. He completed the three-point play, but the

Anteaters then went 4:55 without a point, a free throw by Nic

Campbell. Campbell, who scored six points, missed the second free

throw, but Gloger grabbed the rebound and was fouled on the

put-back. That was the Anteaters first field goal, since Gloger’s

initial three-point play a 5:03 span. Senior guard Mike Hood led UCI

with 11 points, going 5 for 12 from the field. UCI junior forward

Stanislav Zuzak scored nine points.

The Broncos, picked to finish second in the Mid-American

Conference’s West Division and had the eighth-best turnaround in the

nation last year, used a half-court trap midway through the second

half to pressure UCI’s guards. The Anteaters finished with 16

turnovers.

“(Friday) night’s game took a little bit out of us,” Douglass

said. “We weren’t able to come back and play with a lot of fire. We

need to handle pressure. The post players have to play stronger.”

ZOTS: Zuzak, Jordan Harris, Parada, Hood, and Aras Baskauskas

started Saturday, which was the same starting lineup used against

Oklahoma ... Campbell, Ross Schraeder and Gloger saw extensive

playing time ...UCI committed 10 turnovers in the first half. The

Anteaters shot 48% in the first half and finished the game at 40%,

while Western Michigan shot 48% ... UCI will return to action

Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Pepperdine. The Anteaters’ first home game

will be Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. against Loyola Marymount.

SOONER INVITATIONAL

Western Michigan 73, UCI 52

W. Mich. -- Williams 25, Berry 6, Kann 14, Collum 14, Reed 5,

Slater 7, Bronson 2.

3-pt. goals -- Berry 2, Collum 1, Reed 1, Slater 1.

Fouled out -- none.

Technicals -- none.

UC Irvine -- Zuzak 9, Harris 8, Parada 6, Hood 11, Baskauskas 0, Gloger 9, Campbell 6, Schraeder 5, Okoro 4, Ethington 4.

3-pt. goals -- Zuzak 2, Hood 1, Campbell 1, Schraeder 1.

Fouled out -- Parada.

Technicals -- none.

Halftime -- Western Michigan, 32-30.