Anteaters turn it on to capture 65-52 win

Steve Virgen

Leonard Perry, the University of Idaho men’s basketball coach,

metaphorically described his team’s plight after the Vandals lost

65-52 to UC Irvine in front of 2,720 at the Cowan Spectrum Saturday

night.

He said the Vandals are now treading water. There were different

reasons for that, including UCI’s defense, which held Idaho to 25%

shooting in the second half.

There was also UCI senior guard Mike Hood, who overcame a 1-for-7

first-half production, with a 4-of-5 performance in the second half.

Hood, the most recent Big West Conference Player of the Week, also

drained 3 of 4 from beyond the three-point line in the second half.

“The Vandals are very physical,” UCI Coach Pat Douglass said.

“They battle you. But I thought Mike Hood’s threes kind of took the

wind out of their sails.”

The Anteaters (15-7, 9-4 in the Big West) overcame a somewhat

rocky first half and won their fourth straight game to remain in a

tie for second place in the Big West, while UC Santa Barbara

maintained its one-game lead atop the league. Idaho dropped to sixth

place in the Big West.

UCI senior forward Jordan Harris led the Anteaters with a

game-high 18 points (5 for 9), while 7-foot junior center Adam Parada

also finished in double figures with 13 points on 4-of-10 shooting.

Stanislav Zuzak, the

‘Eaters’ junior forward, contributed nine points.

“Jordan Harris stepped up big,” Douglass said. “Our two seniors

really stepped up and gave us that confidence you need on the road.”

Douglass also commended his defense for its effort. The Vandals

(10-12, 6-7) went through a scoring drought in the second half. They

did not score any points for nearly eight minutes, and they were held

without a field goal for nine and a half minutes. In that span

(between 14:11 and 5:32) of the second half, UCI went on a 18-2 run

that started with a Hood three-pointer and ended with a trey by the

senior guard, who has been on a hot streak. Hood, who nailed two free

throws with 1.3 seconds left to give UCI a 59-58 victory at Utah

State Thursday, scored 12 points in the ‘Eaters crucial scoring run,

including three three-pointers.

“Mike Hood has been on a little roll for us in league,” Douglass

said. “He struggled a bit in the first half. He was 1 for 7, but to

come out and bury those threes in the second half showed his

toughness and confidence and his abilities. That was a big key for

us.”

Hood said the UI crowd noise really didn’t motivate him to knock

down shots, yet his three-pointers silenced the fans on hand in the

Cowan Spectrum.

“I was just thinking a lot in the first half,” Hood explained of

his woes.

“I just tried to focus on defense in the second half and not worry

about my shot.”

With 8:55 remaining, Tyrone Hayes, the Vandals’ leading scorer

this season, picked up his fourth foul. Before UCI sophomore Greg

Ethington shot his free throws, a referee charged Hayes with a

technical foul. Hayes apparently argued the call and subsequently

fouled out of the game.

A few reporters in the post-game press conference asked if that

was the turning point in the game.

“What did you notice different about Idaho after that point,” a

reporter asked Hood.

“Nothing really,” Hood said.

Hood shot the technical free throws and missed just his second

foul shot of the season (37 of 39). Ethington made one free throw,

and the Vandals took possession when he missed the second. While

Idaho struggled in the second half, UCI shot 52% (10 of 19).

“You don’t want to focus on one possession,” Douglass said of

Hayes’ technical foul. “I thought the difference was we went zone,

they weren’t able to get anything inside and then Mike made the

threes. When you’re down and a kid’s burying 25-footers that will

take the wind out of anyone’s sails.”

The Vandals appeared to be sailing for a win early in the first

half. They opened the game with an 11-2 run, which included three

straight three-pointers. UCI answered with an 8-0 run, but UI

eventually built a 24-13 lead.

The Anteaters then went on a 15-4 run, in which Parada scored

seven points and Idaho later settled for a 30-29 halftime lead.

Idaho’s Dwayne Williams, who scored a career-high 30 points Thursday,

led the Vandals with 15 points.

“To start the game it looked kind of like it was going to be a

troublesome night, because the Vandals came out hot,” Douglass said.

“I was glad to go into halftime down by one. This was the first time

all year we’ve had (Jeff) Gloger (who fouled out with 2:29 left) in

foul trouble and Mike (Hood) had to move to the point. Until the last

minute, he did a good job in the point.”

Douglass was impressed with his team’s ability to overcome the

rough start when Idaho went up 11-2.

“Our kids, they like challenges,” Douglass said. “Sometimes if

they don’t find a challenge they don’t do as well. This was

definitely a challenging road trip.”

UCI returns to Big West action Thursday night at 7:05, when

ithosts Cal State Northridge.