Efevberha pitch
Barry Faulkner
In the absence of instant replay, there was only instant
gratification for UC Irvine, after sophomore guard Mike Efevberha
sank a three-pointer near the top of the key with 2.6 seconds left.
The shot gave the Anteaters a dramatic 66-65 Big West Conference
men’s basketball victory Thursday over visiting UC Riverside in front
of 2,083.
Along with disappointment for the Highlanders, there may also
linger some controversy around the game-winning shot, which helped
UCI (8-6, 3-2 in the Big West), take sole possession of third place
in the conference with its second late game-winner this season.
“It was a clutch shot,” UCI Coach Pat Douglass said of Efevberha’s
disputed three ball. “That’s the type of shot that makes your
season.”
If that is true, it can also break a season and Riverside (5-7,
2-2) was likely swallowing hard over the game’s final bucket. The
three ball extended the Highlanders’ road losing streak to eight
games, dating back to last season, and made it seven straight losses
against the Anteaters.
“I was surprised it was a three,” said UCI senior Stanislav Zuzak,
who paced the winners with 21 points. Efevberha also expressed some
doubt about the distance of the game-winner, though he was completely
unconflicted by its result.
“When I was in the air, I didn’t hear anything,” said the team’s
leading scorer, who finished with 16 points to help erase the stigma
of an 0-for-7 field-goal-shooting performance in Saturday’s road loss
to the University of the Pacific. He was 0 for 5 Saturday from
threedom. “It was just me and the basket. It’s a moment I’ve always
wished for. After a tough game at UOP, this was great.”
Efevberha, who lifted his season scoring average to 13.1 per game,
was one of several options on the fateful possession, according to
Douglass, who watched his 6-foot-5 standout pass the ball to Adam
Parada for a game-winning layin with two seconds left against
Princeton Dec. 5.
“Jeff [Gloger] could have driven to the bucket, we had Ross
[Schraeder] spotted up in the corner and we posted up Adam [Parada],”
Douglass said of the final play, which he set up during a timeout
with 10.9 ticks remaining.
“I have confidence in Mike to take that shot. He’s our leading
scorer.”
Efevberha was confident, but also admitted to some apprehension.
“It was so nerve-wracking,” he said of the final offensive
possession, which stood up when Riverside senior Kevin Butler missed
an off-balance, one-handed three-point try at the buzzer.
When I came off the double screen [set by the 7-0 Parada and the
6-11 Zuzak] I heard ‘switch’, so I knew someone would be jumping at
me. I wanted to pump fake to get [the defender] in the air, then go
up.”
Efevberha appeared to shuffle his feet during the pump fake, which
may have prompted a traveling call. Where his feet wound up at
liftoff, may also be talked about for some time.
UC Riverside Coach John Masi expressed doubt about whether
Efevberha was behind the three-point line.
Even the UCI camp was not completely convinced.
“When he released it, I didn’t think it was a three,” UCI
assistant coach Todd Lee said.
Though it was the heroics of a sophomore that proved most pivotal,
it was some long-anticipated senior leadership that rescued the
Anteaters after their 33-23 halftime lead turned into a 48-47 deficit
midway through the second half.
Including the final basket of the first half, Zuzak and fellow
senior Parada scored 19 of UCI’s 25 points, spanning into the final
7:17 of the contest.
Zuzak, who hit a three-pointer to open the scoring, had nine
points in the first 4:01 and had 13 points at the half, more than his
11.5 per-game average. Zuzak wound up 8 of 11 from the field, with
two of his misses coming on his four three-point attempts. He also
chipped in four rebounds and two steals.
Parada, whose one point against UOP was his worst output in 81
games, dating back to his freshman season, had just three points
before halftime, sitting out 11 of the first 20 minutes.
“Adam was struggling to guard [6-8 junior center Vili Morton],”
Douglass said of benching his starting center. “But I thought he
responded well in the second half.”
Parada scored seven of his 11 second-half points from the foul
line and finished with seven rebounds, three assists and two blocked
shots.
After Riverside took its first lead, 48-47, with 10:01 left in the
game, the lead changed hands 10 more times. There were also seven
ties in the game, which Riverside appeared to control with some
strong inside play by 6-7 forward Nate Carter, the Big West Freshman
of the Year last season and the Highlanders’ leading scorer coming in
(14.6 ppg).
Carter’s layin with 5:15 left gave the visitors a 60-57 lead and
his layup with 2:12 remaining knotted the score at 62.
After a UCI turnover, UCI regained possession, but Butler stripped
Aras Baskauskas near midcourt and coverted the steal for a dunk and a
64-62 lead with 1:15 left.
A Butler free throw upped the lead to 65-63 with 12 seconds left, but he missed the bonus, allowing UCI, and Efevberha, an opening.
ZOTS -- The national anthem was performed by the vocal group “Stay
Tuned,” which included Theresa Carey, the mother of UCI senior guard
Aras Bakauskas ... UCI junior Greg Ethington, sidelined the previous
four games by an academic issue, had four points, three rebounds, an
assist and a steal in his first Big West appearance. He also provided
energy with frequent diving deflections of post-entry passes ...
Former Anteater star and NBA player Bob Thornton watched Thursday’s
game from courtside. He is a scout for the Chicago Bulls ... UCI will
announce six starters before Saturday’s 1:05 p.m. home game against
Cal State Fullerton. The extra man will be 7-year-old Jeremy Wilfer,
who underwent heart surgery in 2001, thanks to about $45,000 raised
for his care by the Kids Helping Kids program. Area school children,
as well as Orange County police and firefighters, all of whom
contribute to the program, will also be recognized as part of
Celebrate Youth Day festivities.
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Big West Conference
UC Irvine 66, UC Riverside 65
UC Riverside - Carter 16, Morton 9, Porter 10, Butler 9, Peters 5, Schille 8, Jobe 5, Bell 3. 3-pt. Goals -- Porter 2, Peters 1, Bell 1. Fouled out -- Jobe, Morton. Technicals -- None. UC Irvine -- Zuzak 21, Hill 0, Parada 14, Efevberha 16, Gloger 5,
Okoro 4, Ethington 4, Baskauskas 2. 3-pt. goals -- Efevberha 2, Zuzak 2. Fouled out -- None. Technicals -- None. Halftime -- UCI, 33-23.
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