Colleges:

Togetherness and resiliency are two qualities associated with the UC Irvine men’s basketball team. But with a 9-11 record, just 3-5 in the Big West Conference halfway through their conference schedule, consistency has not been an applicable adjective for the Anteaters this season.

Sophomore Eric Wise, a second-team all-conference performer as a freshman, has done more than his share. The 6-foot-5 swing man, who has played in the post, the high post, and on the wing, leads the team in scoring (16.1 per game), rebounding (5.2 per contest) and assists (3.3 per outing).

Senior guard Michael Hunter has also been superlative, averaging 14.3 points and connecting on 52 three-pointers. Hunter’s three-point production gives him 208 for his career, which ranks No. 2 in school annals. With 11 regular-season games left, Hunter needs just 26 to surpass Ross Schraeder, who graduated in 2006, as the school’s all-time leader in three-pointers.

Hunter is also 19 steals away from breaking Jeff Gloger’s school career record of 167 (set from 2002 through 2005).

Junior guard Darren Moore, the third player in the lineup to start all 20 games, has added 9.6 points per contest and he is a big reason why Coach Pat Douglass’ ’Eaters are playing better defense this season.

Sophomore Adam Folker has averaged 6.4 rebounds in conference play and junior point guard Patrick Rembert has gone three straight games without a turnover, a span of 87 minutes on the floor.

But Big West opponents have been able to zero in, defensively, on stopping Wise and Hunter, without paying a price, as additional scoring has been hard to come by for UCI.

So how might the Anteaters flip the script in the second half of conference and secure one of the top four spots, which would mean at least one bye in the eight-team conference tournament?

Some might suggest this could be achieved by merely pulling some strings. Or, more correctly, not pulling 6-2 sophomore guard Derrick Strings from the lineup quite as often.

Strings was a huge contributor to a Jan. 7 win at Cal State Northridge, when he missed his first shot, a three-pointer, then netted his next four field-goal tries, including three three-pointers, on his way to 12 points, three assists, one steal and one turnover in 18 minutes.

In the five games since, in which he started twice, Strings has played a total of 56 minutes. He has scored 19 points, with two assists, one steal and two turnovers. He is five for 18 during that stretch, but five for 13 from three-point range.

Some observers believe Strings’ explosive offensive skills make him the foremost candidate to provide much-needed scoring punch.

He has played 13 games, started two, and is averaging just 10.2 minutes per game. He is averaging 3.2 points.

UCI, in fifth place in the Big West, plays host to first-place Pacific Thursday at 7 p.m.

UCI visits Cal State Fullerton Saturday at 5 p.m.

 UCI baseball coach Mike Gillespie was among those on hand at the Southern California Media Day and second annual coaches cook-off at ESPN Zone in Anaheim Friday.

Gillespie revealed that the depth of talent on his roster will make filling out the lineup card difficult for him and his staff.

In addition, the matter of the weekend rotation, a group that returns after posting a combined 29-4 record last season, may still be altered, with senior Eric Pettis taking over for Crosby Slaught as the Sunday starter.

Gillespie said Slaught (8-0 with a 4.62 earned-run average last season as a sophomore), recently experienced some shoulder pain, though there appears to be no serious injury.

Slaught, if displaced, would become the Tuesday starter, with senior Kyle Necke assuming more of the closing duties. Gillespie said, however, that Pettis might still be called upon to close, perhaps on Fridays and during midweek games.

 Gillespie, who earned the “Kitchen Nightmare” award in last year’s cook-off, was gloating about not only avoiding such ignominy this year, but that the title went to his son-in-law and USC Coach Chad Kreuter.

Gillespie, commenting on his off-season work to improve for the event, also jokingly revealed a five-year plan, by which time he would have his own cooking show on television.

The Anteaters are scheduled to play their alumni game Feb. 6, then open the regular season Feb. 19 at home against Loyola Marymount.