Wise too much for Long Beach State

IRVINE – The term well-rounded suddenly has an expanded meaning as it relates to the game of thick-waisted UC Irvine sophomore Eric Wise.

With fellow team leader Michael Hunter less than himself until the final four minutes, Wise clearly expanded his game to help the Anteaters secure a 71-60 Big West Conference men’s basketball triumph over Long Beach State in front of 1,904 Thursday at the Bren Events Center.

Wise, who came in leading UCI (9-10, 3-4 in conference) in scoring, rebounding and assists, posted 20, seven and six, respectively. But he also added four blocks to the line that proved too much for the surprisingly struggling 49ers (8-11, 2-4) to overcome.

“I try to do a little bit of everything,” said the swing man who plays a little bit of every position for Coach Pat Douglass.

Wise, whose three-pointer with 14:15 left in the game broke a 35-35 deadlock and put UCI ahead for good, led the break, triggered the half-court offense from the high post, dribble penetrated around confused defenders when he had to and banged bodies in the paint to help UCI break a three-game losing streak.

He finished with just one of UCI’s 11 turnovers.

“A lot of people take me for granted, still to this day,” Wise, a 6-foot-5 tweener, said. “But that works for me. A lot of people still don’t believe in me, but my family, my coaches and my teammates believe in me and that’s all that matters.”

Add to that list the UCI rooters, who rose in unison with UCI holding the ball in the final minute, to give the Anteaters a rare standing ovation.

“It was a big win, because of the three-game losing streak,” said Wise, who made seven of 15 field-goal tries and five of eight foul shots, the latter all during the first 20 minutes.

“And, we were at home, so we wanted to take care of home-court advantage.”

Wise took care of distribution for Hunter, a catalytic guard who suffered a lower-back injury with 7:30 left in the first half. Hunter was obviously affected in brief second-half minutes, until he recovered well enough to produce seven points in the final 3:22 to help fend off yet another 49ers surge.

Hunter, who was one for eight from the field to that point, netted a three-pointer from the top of the key to give UCI a 59-54 advantage with 3:22 left.

On the subsequent possession, he stole the ball and went the distance for a layin that might have put the Black and Blue Series rivals away.

With Hunter sidelined, and several UCI reserves failing to hold things down in the backcourt, Wise stepped in to solidify the offensive flow.

“I feel like I had to take the ball and get people open, because I know they were double-teaming me,” Wise said.

Wise more than slightly upstaged Long Beach State sophomore Larry Anderson, who edged Wise for Big West Freshman of the Year honors last season.

“I’ve been playing against [Anderson, who had 20 points, six rebounds, four steals, three assists and four turnovers] since I was 10,” Wise said. “I’m good friends with him. He deserved it last year when he won Freshman of the Year. I wasn’t mad.”

Another sophomore, forward Adam Folker, also came up big for UCI, netting seven of nine field-goal tries to collect a career-high 14 points.

“He has been playing really well,” Wise said of the 6-8 Folker. Actually, he has been our best player the last three games.”

Modesty is, it seems, another of Wise’s strengths.

Hunter and junior guard Darren Moore had 10 points apiece and Moore chipped in a team-high nine rebounds.

UCI used a 10-0 run to break a 17-17 deadlock late in the first half, but Long Beach, the preseason conference favorite, closed the half on an 11-3 spurt to narrow its deficit to 30-28.

The visitors shot 25% from the field before halftime and opened the second 20 minutes making just one of their first 10 field-goal tries.

Long Beach finished at 31.7% from the field, but made 18 of 21 foul shots. UCI shot 42.2% from the field and was 12 of 18 from the line.

UCI will play Saturday at home against last-place UC Riverside at 8 p.m.