Efevberha lifts ‘Eaters to victory

Barry Faulkner

In order to heat up, UC Irvine sophomore guard Mike Efevberha had to

first tone down, and the result Saturday night was clearly something

to shout about.

Efevberha, averaging just 7.2 points coming in, after erupting for

41 in two combined exhibition games this season, more than doubled

his previous career high with 37 points in a breakout performance

against Arkansas-Monticello.

His heroics keyed an 84-67 triumph over the Division II school in

the finale of the two-game McCaffrey Classic at Fresno State’s Save

Mart Center.

Efevberha, whose typical pregame exuberance is manifested in

high-pitched howls outside the Anteaters’ locker room, said he heeded

Coach Pat Douglass’ pre-tournament suggestion to be more mellow

before tipoff. He also said his preoccupation with his defensive

assignment helped him relax and embrace an offensive flow that

surfaced in his 10-point second-half against Princeton Friday night.

“I think I got the feel back in the second half (en route to a

season-high 12 points Friday),” Efevberha said. “And, tonight, I

think it helped me that I was concentrating on my defense.” Efevberha

was matched up on Boll Weevils’ freshman guard Nate Newell, who

netted seven three-pointers in a 25-point performance in Friday’s

68-55 loss to Fresno State.

Newell, with Efevberha partly responsible, finished 0 of 9 from

the field, including 0 of 3 from three-point range.

Meanwhile, when Efevberha positioned himself on the wing on

offense, he quickly settled into a comfort zone. Efevberha’s

three-pointer, barely more than two minutes into the contest,

triggered a 19-0 UCI run in which the 6-foot-5 standout contributed

15 points. An Efevberha three ball with 9:34 left in the half gave

him 18 points, one more than his previous single-game best and he

concluded the first half with an even 20.

Efevberha hit three of his seven three-pointers after halftime and

finished 14 of 23 from the field (60.9%) and 7 of 12 from beyond the

arc (58.3%).

“Mike has a tendency to get hyper sometimes and I think he plays

better when he slows down,” Douglass said. “I liked the way he kept

his composure tonight. For a sophomore, it was a remarkable game.”

Efevberha said a subdued pregame will now become his routine and

he looks forward to fulfilling the promise many projected for the

so-called heir apparent to former four-year star Jerry Green, who,

like Efevberha, played high school basketball in Pomona.

“We need to keep it going from these last two wins,” Efevberha

said. “We need to come out all the time like we did tonight.”

Irvine’s intensity, on both ends of the floor, was apparent from

the outset against Arkansas-Monticello (4-4), as the Anteaters (4-3)

seized a 32-10 advantage with 7:58 left in the first half.

The Boll Weevils, who came in averaging 78 points per game, pulled

to within 50-40 with 15:41 left in the game, but got no closer.

“We came out and got that lead, then I substituted and they cut

into it a little,” Douglass said. “But this was a good trip for us.

We learned a lot about our club with three games in four days

(including a loss at Cal Wednesday). We need to take what we did,

regroup and come back after finals (their next game is Dec. 18 at

home against Pepperdine).”

It was also a record-setting night for UCI sophomore point guard

Jeff Gloger, who finished with a career-high eight assists to go with

his 10 points and team-leading nine rebounds and four steals.

“Jeff had a really good tournament,” Douglass said of this

season’s most consistent performer. “He’s an unusual point guard.”

Senior center Adam Parada had 11 points, including 5-of-5 shooting

from the field, and also chipped in six rebounds.

Matt Okoro had four of his six rebounds on the offensive end,

before exiting the game with a slight right ankle sprain midway

through the second half.

Junior Greg Ethington had eight points in 22 minutes off the

bench, while Billy McDaniel paced four Boll Weevils in double figures

with 21 points.

ZOTS -- Mike Efevberha’s 37 points were the most by an Anteater

since Jerry Green produced 41 on Nov. 20, 2001, in a 96-93

double-overtime win over visiting Pepperdine ... Efevberha’s point

total Saturday was three short of matching the McCaffrey Classic

record held by two players ... Adam Parada was 9 for 9 from the field

during the tournament, including the game-winner with two seconds

left Friday against Princeton ... Just seven games into his sophomore

season, Jeff Gloger has 90 steals, which ties him for 10th on the

school’s all-time list with George McDonald and Ricky Butler. Gloger

needs six to surpass assistant coach Tod Murphy in the No. 9 spot.

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McCaffrey Classic

UC Irvine 84, Arkansas-Montecello 67

Ark.-Monticello - McDaniel 21, Mayweather 4, Marks 3, Newell 3, Reese 2, Carter 13, Matkevicius 11, Harris 10. 3-pt. goals - McDaniel 3, Harris 3, Carter 2, Matkevicius 2, Marks 1. Fouled out - Mayweather. Technicals - None. UC Irvine - Zuzak 2, Okoro

4, Parada 11, Efevberha 37, Gloger 10, Ethington 8, Schrader 7, Campbell 5. 3-pt. goals - Efevberha 7, Campbell 1, Schrader 1. Fouled out - Ethington. Technicals - None.

*--*