UCI to play at Oral Roberts in CIT 2nd round

UC Irvine will play at Oral Roberts Monday in the second round of the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament.

Game time is 5 p.m. (PDT) at the Mabee Center on the ORU campus in Tulsa, Okla.

Coach Russell Turner’s Anteaters are coming off an 80-71 win over High Point in the first round Wednesday night at Crawford Court.

Sophomore post Will Davis, known for his defense, exploded for a career-high 32 points, hitting 13 of 18 field goals. He added 14 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season and the sixth of his career.

He scored 18 of his points in the first half in leading the ‘Eaters to a 37-29 lead at the break.

Senior Daman Starring and junior Chris McNealy added 11 points each, and freshman point guard Alex Young scored 10 as UCI improved to 21-15 overall.

UCI has won nine of its last 11 games and 11 of the past 15.

The 21 wins are tied for third-most in UCI single-season history. The 2000-01 team won a school-record 25 games, the 1981-82 squad won 23 and this season ties the 21 wins recorded by the 2001-02 team.

This was the first postseason win for the UCI program since an 80-74 victory over UCLA at Pauley Pavilion in the 1986 NIT.

UCI is making its first postseason appearance in 11 years this season since the 2001-02 team participated in the NIT.

Oral Roberts, led by 14th-year head coach Scott Sutton, defeated UT Arlington, 84-76, on the road Wednesday in the CIT First Round.

Senior guard Warren Niles led the Golden Eagles (19-14) with 24 points, junior forward Shawn Glover scored 18 points, junior forward Steven Roundtree had 17 points and 11 rebounds, and senior forward Damen Bell-Holter added 15 points.

The UCI-ORU series is tied at 1-1.

— From staff reports