One last tuneup

Steve Virgen

Tonight’s game at the Bren Event Center features two teams that

appear to be headed in opposite directions. The UC Irvine men’s

basketball team will be looking for its third straight win and a

chance to gain momentum before Big West Conference action, as the

Anteaters host Florida Atlantic tonight at 7:35. It is the second

game of a doubleheader which has the UCI women’s basketball team

hosting Portland State at 5:15 p.m.

Florida Atlantic (4-7), coached by former UNLV standout Sidney

Green, has lost four straight, including a 91-75 loss at San Diego

State Saturday. Chris Thomas, a 6-foot-4 junior guard, led the Owls

with 19 points. Florida Atlantic’s 5-10 junior guard Earnest

Crumbley, who leads the Owls in scoring this season, added 13 points.

Florida Atlantic won the Atlantic Sun title last year to earn an

NCAA Tournament berth and lost to Alabama in the first round. The

Owls have one common opponent with UCI this season. They defeated

Indiana-Purdue, Fort Wayne, 93-86 in double overtime Nov. 19.

The Anteaters (5-3) had six players score in double figures which

led to a 96-79 victory over IPFW Saturday night. UCI shot 48.4% from

the field, 62.1% in the first half. UCI Coach Pat Douglass said his

team is making progress, as the Anteaters have won five of their past

six games.

UCI redshirt freshman Ross Schraeder, who has been effective in a

reserve role, scored a career-high 15 points in his first collegiate

start Saturday, while forwards Jordan Harris and Stanislav Zuzak came

off the bench and added 18 points each. Zuzak scored all of his

points in the second half.

Adam Parada could possibly break back into the starting lineup

tonight. The Anteaters’ 7-0 junior center, who has not started the

past two games, scored 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds in 23

minutes. Harris, who did not start Saturday because he missed

practice on Christmas night, will most likely start, as well.

UCI will open Big West play with three road games beginning with

Long Beach State Saturday at 7:35 p.m.