Templeton triggers another UCI win

Freshman reserve produces career-high 18 points as ‘Eaters sprint early, then hold off Highlanders.RIVERSIDE -- With 16 games of NCAA Division I basketball under his belt, UC Irvine freshman Adam Templeton said he is now comfortable with his role.

This held true Thursday night, even though the 6-foot-5 rookie from South Dakota didn’t exactly play the part he envisioned in the Anteaters’ 71-61 Big West Conference men’s basketball victory over UC Riverside.

Templeton, who came in averaging 2.8 points per game, said his role is as a rebounder and defender.

“They don’t put me in there for offense,” he said.

But Templeton scored a career-high 18 points, including three three-pointers, to help the first-place Anteaters (9-8, 5-0 in the Big West) hold off the Highlanders (2-14, 2-4) after jumping out to a huge lead.

Templeton, who came off the bench quickly, had a three-pointer and a layup in the first two-plus minutes to claim his portion of a 17-0 cushion. Templeton then largely sat back as his teammates built a 37-12 advantage with 6:14 left in the opening period.

The Anteaters connected on 14 of their first 19 field-goal attempts, as well as six of their first eight three-point tries.

The Highlanders, who had beaten UCI in their Student Recreation Center each of the last two seasons, opened 0 for 9 from the field. But the hosts scored 14 straight points to claw back into the contest and, barring a few stretches, simply kept coming.

A three-pointer by Ricky Porter pulled Riverside within 59-56 with 5:09 left in the game and UCI’s lead was a precarious 62-58 with 2:56 remaining.

But UCR managed only three foul shots the rest of the way, as the Anteaters continued their surprising start in conference. The five consecutive conference wins followed a five-game losing streak. UCI had lost seven of its previous eight games before hitting its Big West stride.

“We might have folded in that second half a couple weeks ago,” UCI senior Ross Schraeder said.

There was no buckle on this night, however, as UCI made the plays it needed to extend its lead to 2 1/2 games over both Cal State Fullerton and two-time defending champion Pacific.

“We came out and played pretty good basketball, but [the Highlanders] are tough in their place and they got it going,” UCI Coach Pat Douglass said. “But our kids hung tough. I thought Templeton came off the bench and gave us a lift and I thought Aaron [Fitzgerald, who returned after an absence of 4:24 with 6:10 remaining -- after being hit on a layup and coming up dizzy, Douglass said] came back in and handled the ball well for us.”

Riverside closed a 41-29 halftime deficit to 44-33 early in the second half, but Templeton hit two three-pointers and two more field goals to account for all of his team’s points in a 10-3 mini-run that ended with 13:06 left.

“Adam made some huge shots tonight,” Schraeder said. “He was all over the place.”

Templeton also finished with a career-high seven rebounds -- five at the offensive end -- and wound up 7 of 10 from the field, including 3 of 6 from beyond the arc.

“I got my time in there and I wanted to go to the glass,” Templeton said. “I don’t know that I have any confidence now that I didn’t have before. But I would say I’m more comfortable now.”

The Anteaters were 27 of 54 from the field (50%), and made 10 of 23 three-point tries.

“Our mentality coming in was to try to defend their three-point shooting,” said UC Riverside assistant Vann Webb, who filled in for head coach David Spencer. Spencer did not attend due to an ear infection.

“But that’s tough to do, because they can all hit threes,” Webb said. “They spread their offense, their spacing is great and they move the ball so well. And their point guard [Fitzgerald] is very good at penetrating and finding guys. [Fitzgerald] passes the heck out of the ball.”

Fitzgerald, the Big West assist leader at 6.3 per game and the reigning Big West Player of the Week, had six assists, six points and six turnovers. He made a steal and a layup with 1:49 left that upped the ‘Eaters’ lead to 66-58.

“We’re not there, yet, but we’re improving, defensively,” Douglass said. “We have a long ways to go.”

Nic Campbell had 12 points -- hitting 4 of 8 three-point attempts -- and Fells contributed 10 points and eight rebounds.

Steve Williams paced Riverside with 23 points.

The Anteaters will attempt to maintain their winning streak Saturday at Cal State Fullerton. Tipoff is 2 p.m.

Big West Conference

UC Irvine 71, UC Riverside 61

Score by Halves