Coach, UCI get big win

IRVINE — UC Irvine’s 74-59 Big West Conference men’s basketball victory over conference co-leader Pacific came with abundant symmetry Thursday night at the Bren Events Center.

First, the victory was No. 164 in 11 seasons at UCI for Coach Pat Douglass, who surpassed former Anteaters head man Bill Mulligan to become the school’s all-time coaching victories leader. That he did it against his alma mater, which is coached by his former Pacific teammate and now best friend, Bob Thomason, made it even more poignant, even Douglass had to admit.

But there was also symmetry in the play of the Anteaters (11-13, 6-5 in conference), who continue to ride senior stars Patrick Sanders and Darren Fells, while support players such as senior guard Marcus McIntosh, junior forward Kevin Bland, and sophomores Michael Hunter and Chad DeCasas zero in more on exactly how to help the team play its best.

If Thursday’s performance wasn’t the Anteaters’ best this season, it was near the top, and Douglass, though refusing to grant specific priority among wins this season, said his team’s effort against a quality program like Pacific definitely superseded any spotlight that might shine on him for his coaching milestone.

“I really like the way our kids battled tonight,” said Douglass, who is also the career victories leader at previous stops Cal State Bakersfield (257 wins and three NCAA Division II titles in 10 seasons) and Eastern Montana (119 wins in six seasons. He is now 164-151 at UCI.

“We’ve had a lot of adversity [this season] and your character is really tested when you have a lot of adversity,” Douglass said. “We’ve had different issues that kind of broke into our depth level [injuries and academic deficiencies have cost them two projected starters]. But these kids have stayed focused and kept improving and I just think each week we’re getting better. It’s fun to be out there.”

The Anteaters, now 8-0 in games played on their campus this season, provided plenty of entertainment for the 1,085 in attendance. UCI withstood some superb three-point accuracy by Tigers’ junior guard Steffan Johnson early, taking the lead for good with 10:51 left in the first half when a McIntosh field goal put the hosts on top, 22-20.

Johnson made his first four three-point tries, all within a span of 4:24, to help keep the visitors close and UOP benefited from three more three-pointers in the final 3:54 of the first half to keep UCI’s halftime lead at a manageable 43-37.

A three-pointer by Pacific’s Chad Troyer, followed by teammate Casey Neimeyer’s layup on UOP’s next possession, pulled the visitors within 46-44, with 16:10 left in the game.

But Sanders and Fells, who finished with 25 and 23 points, respectively, asserted themselves yet again on the offensive end, combining for seven points during a 9-2 UCI run that shoved the Tigers into a less threatening pose that they assumed the rest of the game.

Sanders, in his second game after sitting out one game with a hyperextended right knee, appeared to have no ill-effects from the injury. He beat defenders on the dribble, made three of his five three-point attempts, and converted eight of nine foul shots to help the Anteaters grind out offense in a game that produced no fast-break points.

Sanders, a 6-foot-6 forward, finished seven of 12 from the field and chipped in five rebounds and three assists. His point total was two short of his career high.

Fells, a 6-7 center, was also seven of 12 from the field, while netting his only three-point try and draining eight of nine from the foul line. He dislodged defenders down low with his powerful post moves, beat them with quickness and finesse on fall-away jumpers, and virtually quarantined the area around the basket on the defensive end to collect a game-high 11 rebounds. It was the fifth double-double of the season for Fells, whom Douglass said is playing as well as anyone in the Big West.

“Fells is a strong, quick athlete who is hard to defend,” Douglass said. Even when we played teams in nonconference, they had a hard time with him. When he’s going good, he’s hard to handle. There have been teams that have handled him, but not all of them.”

Said Sanders: “Darren played so well, getting all the boards. We’ve got to find a way to help him out a little bit down there on the boards. But he was a man tonight.”

Bland, whose unselfish passing consistently put the ball in Fells hands where he could do the most damage with it, also praised his frontline partner.

“Darren was just sealing [off while boxing out] hard and grabbing all those rebounds,” Bland said.

McIntosh, who was 10 of 14 from the foul line, finished with 14 points, two fewer than his career high achieved Saturday in a road win over UC Santa Barbara. His quickness and aggressive dribble penetration gave Tigers defenders fits. Additionally, McIntosh contributed three rebounds, four steals and two assists, while not committing a turnover in 38 minutes.

“Marcus has been playing well since he’s been inserted [into the starting lineup again Feb. 2 at Long Beach State],” Sanders said,. “He has been giving us a big lift.”

UCI has won three of the last four games, including two on the road, since McIntosh rejoined the starting five, and Douglass believes the Texas A&M; transfer has become a catalyst, particularly on defense.

“When [McIntosh] is going on all cylinders, we seem to really play good defense,” said Douglass, who credited Bland with his best defensive game of the season.

Bland, who has struggled in the scoring department, had four points off the bench. But he added six rebounds, two assists, two steals and one blocked shot, while committing no turnovers in 26 minutes. Bland also made several positive plays not chronicled on the stat sheet.

Sanders was also impressed with the defensive effort of UCI, which came in leading the conference in scoring defense (64.4 points allowed per contest).

“We just really defended,” Sanders said. “I mean, they were hitting in the beginning, but it was all threes. Once we were able to get to that, they weren’t really doing much.”

Johnson missed his final three three-point tries and UOP was one of six from beyond the arc after halftime. The Tigers shot 42.6% from the field and committed 15 turnovers.

UCI shot 42.9% from the field, had just eight turnovers and won the rebounding battle, 34-22.

The Anteaters remain in fifth place, one game behind UCSB, while UOP was knocked down to third place, behind idle Cal State Northridge (8-2 in conference) and Cal State Fullerton (9-3).

UCI plays its final regular-season road game Wednesday at UC Riverside, then finishes with five straight home games, four against Big West foes.

Big West Conference

UC Irvine 74, Pacific 59

UOP – Brown 8, Ford 0, Nunnally 8, Johnson 17, Troyer 14, Morgan 8, Smith 2, Neimeyer 2.

3-pt. goals – Johnson 4, Troyer 3, Morgan 2.

Fouled out – None.

Technicals – None.

UCI – Sanders 25, DeCasas 5, Fells 23, McIntosh 14, Hunter 3, Bland 4.

3-pt. goals – Sanders 3, Hunter 1, DeCasas 1, Fells 1.

Fouled out – None.

Halftime – UCI, 43-37.

BARRY FAULKNER may be reached at (714) 966-4615 or at [email protected].