Anteaters show improved depth in exhibition win

UCI men’s hoops gamerVeterans perform well, but second wave is also impressive in 94-56 trouncing of Division II visitor Cal Poly Pomona.BREN EVENTS CENTER -- The UC Irvine men’s basketball team showed Anteater enthusiasts a lot of what they’ve become accustomed to in Tuesday’s 94-56 season-opening exhibition win over visiting Cal Poly Pomona.

But there was also plenty of surprises for UCI, mostly of the pleasant variety.

Anteater senior guards Ross Schraeder and Aaron Fitzgerald were a combined 14 of 19 from the field to lead the winners’ balanced scoring attack that included five players in double figures.

Schraeder, who led the Anteaters in scoring as a junior (12.9 per game) made 8 of 12 field-goal attempts, including three three-pointers, to finish with a game-high 19 points.

Fitzgerald scored nearly all of his 15 points on driving layins, while sophomore forward Darren Fells chipped in 15 points, sinking 4 of 4 from the field and 7 of 8 from the line.

“Ross has been shooting very well in practice,” UCI Coach Pat Douglass said of the third-year starter, whose 43.9% proficiency from three-point range last season ranked No. 11 in the nation. “It looked like every shot he took tonight went in.”

Fitzgerald, who led the Big West Conference in assists as a junior (5.2 per game), finished with nine.

Mark Kelley, a 6-foot-8 junior transfer out of Citrus College, was 6 of 8 from the field on the way to 13 points. And Kelly shared the team rebounding lead with junior starter Nic Campbell with seven.

But when asked to single out the newcomers -- of whom six saw action -- Douglass cited junior backup point guard Justin Price.

Price, a walk-on out of Irvine Valley College, had modest statistics. He finished with two points, two assists and two steals. But Douglass said he was pleased with Price’s ability to settle the team down during a first half in which the hosts committed 14 of their 20 turnovers.

Senior guard Shamar Armstrong chipped in 10 points, including 2-of-3 shooting from beyond the arc.

Campbell added nine points, and sophomore Patrick Sanders contributed six points and five rebounds.

Freshman Adam Templeton, who started, did not score and did not attempt a shot in 11 minutes. He did have four assists.

“We got a chance to play everyone and see some different combinations of players,” Douglass said. “Overall, I thought we were pretty effective and we have a little bit of depth as a group.”

Depth was a problem last season, when the Anteaters went 16-13, 8-10 in the Big West.

Douglass said the first-half turnovers were caused as much by first-game jitters as the defense of the Broncos, a Division II school coming off a 24-7 season, their third straight 20-win campaign.

“In the first half, I think we were trying to run our stuff a little bit too much and we were forcing some things,” Douglass said. “We only had six turnovers in the second half, so we took care of the ball a lot better.”

With the game tied, 9-9, UCI used a 19-2 spurt that included field goals from six different players, to take control.

The hosts led, 46-26, at halftime and a Kelley layup upped the cushion to 61-31 with 14:32 left in the game.

Pomona pared the deficit to 70-50 with 8:51 remaining, but another 16-2 run by the Anteaters helped the hosts relax and enjoy their debut.

UCI shot 65.5% from the field (36 of 55).

UCI has eight days to prepare for its Nov. 10 opener against George Mason in the 2K College Hoops Classic at Wake Forest University.

Douglass said senior guard Jeff Gloger, who tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in late May, is ahead of schedule in his rehabilitation. And while Gloger plans to play again at some point this season, rather than seek a medical redshirt, Douglass said there is no timetable yet for a return.

Douglass also announced 6-9 freshman Wolfgang Geiler, who joined the program in the fall from Germany, will redshirt this season.

Exhibition

UC Irvine 94,

Cal Poly Pomona 56

Cal Poly Pomona -- Hofman 14, Malone 12, Cook 7, Forelli 6, Gordon 5, Boyd 3, Neveu 3, Daniels 2, Nicholson 2, Kruase 2.

3-pt. goals -- Hoffman 4, Malone 2, Boyd 1.

Fouled out -- None.

Technicals -- None.

UC Irvine -- Schroeder 19, Fitzgerald 15, Fells 15, Kelley 13, Armstrong 10, Campbell 9, Sanders 6, Metelski 3, Price 2, Green 2.

3-pt. goals -- Schroeder 3, Armstrong 2, Campbell 1.

Fouled out -- Fells.

Technicals -- None.20051102761KGO52No Caption20051102ipb95fknKENT TREPTOW / DAILY PILOT(LA)UC Irvine’s Shamar Armstrong goes to the basket for a layup in Tuesday’s victory against Cal Poly Pomona.