Anteaters pull away

Barry Faulkner

The UC Irvine men’s basketball team came away with it’s ideal

post-Christmas gift -- an 85-75 victory -- in the Big West Conference

opener Tuesday night before 2,328 at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

And, ever the polite guest, it was Anteater junior guard Aaron

Fitzgerald who took care of the dishes.

Fitzgerald, who was just 1 of 6 from the field in a seesaw first

half, produced assists on the visitors’ first five second-half

buckets, including two Ross Schraeder three-pointers to key a

game-turning 8-0 run.

When Fitzgerald’s three-minute, 23-second distribution display was

over, UCI (6-2, 1-0 in the Big West) had seized the lead for good on

its way to ending an eight-game road losing streak against conference

competition.

Fitzgerald had six of his career-high-tying nine assists after

intermission and Schraeder, who sank 6 of 13 three-point tries (and

is now 28 of 58 for the season -- 48.3% -- beyond the arc), finished

with a game-high 20 points to extend the ‘Eaters’ winning streak to

five and continue to foster their burgeoning confidence.

“Any time you win the first game in league on the road, it’s big,”

UCI Coach Pat Douglass said.

As has been the case during UCI’s reversal from a 1-2 start, there were myriad contributions.

Freshman Darren Fells scored a career-high 15 points, senior Greg

Ethington added 14 points and eight rebounds and sophomore Nic

Campbell chipped in 11 points and nine boards in 28 minutes.

Fitzgerald finished with seven rebounds and four steals, while

Jeff Gloger (nine points and five rebounds), Adam Metelski (four

points and six rebounds, including five on the offensive end) and

Shamar Armstrong (six points on two timely three-pointers), led the

bench brigade.

“Our bench did a nice job, Aaron got us going and Ross made some

threes,” Douglass said. “But the guy who continues to be steady is

Nic Campbell.” Campbell, who averaged 2.0 points as a redshirt

freshman last season, is averaging 6.7 points and 6.3 rebounds his

last three games, having cracked the starting lineup four games ago.

“I’m trying hard to work on the little things and find a role to

help the team,” said Campbell, known as a spot-up shooter in his club

days in Australia.

Neither club was able to create breathing room in the first half

Tuesday, as UCI took a 42-40 edge into intermission. In the first 20

minutes, the game had 11 ties and 22 lead changes.

Mustang freshman Dawin Whiten hit a three-pointer to open the

second half for the 23rd lead change, but Schraeder netted

back-to-back three balls and Campbell followed with a layup created

by a Fitzgerald steal to set UCI in winning motion.

“We’ve been pretty much a second-half ballclub,” Douglass said.

Cal Poly (2-6, 0-1) whittled an 11-point UCI lead to 79-73 with 1:43

left, but UCI got two offensive rebounds to help eat 54 seconds off

the clock, before the Mustangs got the ball back.

Gloger, Schraeder and Campbell all converted one-and-one

free-throw opportunities in the final 47 seconds to secure the win.

UCI plays at UC Santa Barbara, a 54-47 winner Tuesday over Long

Beach State, Thursday at 7:05 p.m.

Big West Conference

UC Irvine 85,

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo 75

UC Irvine - Campbell 11, Fells 15, Ethington 14, Schraeder 20,

Fitzgerald 2, Gloger 9, Armstrong 6, Metelski 4, Sanders 4.

3-pt. goals - Schraeder 6, Armstrong 2, Campbell 1.

Fouled out - None.

Technicals - None.

Cal Poly - Enzweiler 15, Haskins 4, Johnson 18, Whiten 14, Sampson

9, Finnegan 5, Titchenal 5, McGinn 3, Henry 2.

3-pt. goals - Whiten 4, Enzweiler 3, Finnegan 1, McGinn 1, Sampson

1.

Fouled out - Enzweiler.

Technicals - None.

Halftime - UCI, 42-40.