Douglass drives his message home

Barry Faulkner

BREN EVENTS CENTER -- In his continuing effort to emphasize little

things like defensive intensity, rebounding, shot selection and

taking care of the ball, UC Irvine men’s basketball coach Pat

Douglass resorted to the biggest selling point at his disposal

Saturday night.

So it was that junior point guard Aaron Fitzgerald, leading the

Big West Conference in assists per game (5.7), found himself excluded

from the starting lineup before a homecoming crowd of 3,123 against

visiting UC Riverside.

Fitzgerald, held scoreless for the first time all season on 0-of-6

shooting in Thursday’s one-point home loss to Cal State Fullerton,

responded with 11 points, five assists and six rebounds to help the

Anteaters hold off Riverside, 56-53.

UCI senior center Greg Ethington, who along with junior guard Ross

Schraeder are now the only Anteaters to start every game this season,

added a game-high 17 points and seven rebounds to the cause.

The win matched last year’s victory total for UCI (11-10, 5-8 in

conference) and allowed the ‘Eaters to strengthen their grip on

seventh place in the scramble to earn one of the eight conference

tournament berths. It also avenged a 68-55 loss at Riverside Jan. 13.

The Anteaters shot 58.3% in the opening half, but their nine

turnovers helped the Highlanders (8-14, 3-9) enter the second 20

minutes down only 28-27.

UCI needed a 10-0 run erase a 39-35 deficit, then held on down the

stretch, thanks to some offensive aggressiveness, execution and

timely free-throw shooting, as well as one final impressive defensive

stop.

Fitzgerald’s nifty crossover move near the foul line created an

avenue for his layup that put the hosts up, 54-49, with 2:56 left.

Larry Cunningham, a freshman who had a career-high 29 points in

UCR’s win over Irvine last month, scored the next four points to pull

the visitors within one with 12.3 seconds left.

But Schraeder, who was held without a three-pointer for the first

time in 11 games, made both one-and-one free throws with 11.5 seconds

left to create a three-point bulge.

Strong defensive pressure, including switching on several handoffs

on the perimeter, helped eat up the remaining time, as Riverside did

not get a shot off in its attempt to force overtime.

“We’ve had to earn everything we’ve gotten all year and this was

just another game like that,” said Douglass, who informed Fitzgerald

Friday he would be coming off the bench for the first time since his

freshman season at Portland State in 2001-02.

“I think it was a good decision by coach,” Fitzgerald said after

Saturday’s triumph. “I think I needed to refocus. It was all about

mind-set. I just tried to come out and focus on things like

rebounding and playing hard on defense, not just offense.”

Ethington praised Fitzgerald for his resolve after being benched.

“There was some uncertainty as to how he would respond,” Ethington

said. “He had time to think and adjust after learning [Friday] night

he wasn’t going to get the starting nod. I think [Douglass’ decision]

worked.”

Ethington, who had 12 points at halftime and sank eight of his

first 10 field-goal attempts, said it was important to play strong in

the paint.

“Their big guys are very physical and, last time, they just took

it to us,” Ethington said.

Five Riverside big men, all of whom are at least as tall as the

6-foot-8 Ethington, combined for just five points, 10 rebounds and

six turnovers in 60 combined minutes of playing time.

Schraeder finished with 10 points, while Jeff Gloger collected six

points, five rebounds, four assists, two steals and one blocked shot

for the winners.

UCI, with three of its final five conference games on the road,

can go a long way toward securing a Big West tournament bid with a

win Thursday at ninth-place Long Beach State.

Big West Conference

UC Irvine 56

UC Riverside 53

UC Riverside -- Schille 1, Jobe 4, Williams 14, Ost 13, Porter 11,

Cunningham 7, Bell 3.

3-pt. goals -- Ost 3, Porter 1, Bell 1.

Fouled out -- None.

Technicals -- None.

UC Irvine -- Campbell 7, Baker 0, Ethington 17, Schraeder 10,

Gloger 6, Fitzgerald 11, Metelski 3, Armstrong 2.

3-pt. goals -- Campbell 1, Fitzgerald 1.

Fouled out -- None.

Technicals -- None.

Halftime -- UC Irvine, 28-27.