Adversity key for UCI

Adversity was both a blessing and a curse for the UCI men’s basketball team, which completed its season Saturday night in the championship game of the Big West Conference Tournament at the Anaheim Convention Center.

The No. 5-seeded Anteaters (18-16) were defeated, 81-66, by Cal State Fullerton (24-8), which settled for the No. 3 seed after sharing the conference regular-season crown with UC Santa Barbara and Cal State Northridge.

It was the fourth game in four days for UCI, which might have benefited from the depth that was significantly diminished when community college transfer Adam Rodenberg was first felled by a season-ending hernia, then left the program. Coach Pat Douglass’ roster took another hit when senior guard Chuma Awaji was lost for the season due to academic eligibility.

Rodenberg, sidelined after starting the first six games, averaged 6.8 points and 2.7 rebounds. His strength inside would undoubtedly have given Douglass greater options and helped senior center Darren Fells remain better rested for the stretch run.

Awaji, who played in 11 games, starting one, averaged 7.5 points after emerging as an aggressive backcourt presence as a junior in 2006-07.

Yet, the paring of the roster also wound up producing its benefits, as guards Marcus McIntosh, Patrick Rembert, Brett Lauer and Michael Hunter all took advantage of additional playing time to solidify a backcourt that became essential to the late-season surge.

A 70-51 victory over Utah State on Nov. 17, and a come-from-behind triumph at Harvard, the team’s first road win on Dec. 30, highlighted the preconference portion of the schedule, after which the ’Eaters were 5-8.

A propensity for giving up leads and road struggles against a rugged schedule that included games at Utah, at Texas A&M; and at South Carolina helped keep the Anteaters under .500.

After a conference-opening loss at Cal State Fullerton, UCI swept home conference games with Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and UCSB, adding to their burgeoning confidence at home. UCI would win its first 12 games played on campus, including 11 at the Bren Events Center, before falling to Cal State Fullerton in the regular-season finale.

A road win at UCSB on Feb. 14 was another indication the Anteaters were not to be ignored, but conference losses at UC Davis and UC Riverside wound up costing UCI a top-four finish, which would have meant at least one bye in the conference tournament.

Fells, a 6-foot-7 four-year starter, and 6-6 senior forward Patrick Sanders became known as the best one-two scoring punch in the conference and, according to Bob Olson, the school’s longtime associate athletic director in charge of media relations, the school’s best tandem since future NBA players Tod Murphy and Johnny Rogers aligned for then-coach Bill Mulligan in the early 1980s.

Sanders, a first-team all-conference honoree, averaged 15.1 points and 4.9 rebounds, while leading the team with 36 blocked shots. He became the go-to option, particularly late in the game or the shot clock, and his emergence as a reliable mid-range jumpshooter helped complement his athletic slashing ability. His 1,136 career points rank No. 16 on the school’s all-time list.

Sanders started all 33 games in which he appeared. He did not play, due to a hyperextended knee at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, a game UCI lost by one point.

Fells, who now ranks 10th in UCI annals in scoring (1,252 points), third in rebounds (780) and No. 7 in steals (103), elevated his game as the season wound down. A second-team all-conference performer, he consistently dived on the floor for loose balls in the tournament on his way to making the all-tournament team.

He averaged 14.4 points and a team-best 7.2 rebounds, while his 66 assists and 51 steals ranked second on the team. His 56.6% field-goal shooting led the conference in the regular season and he finished at 56.9% overall.

“Those two guys accepted a lot of responsibility,” Douglass said of Fells and Sanders. “Both were proven players who took the bull by the horns and helped get the rest of the guys to a level where we were playing competitive basketball. I couldn’t be more proud of those two.”

Fells and Sanders shared team MVP honors and Sanders was also a co-captain.

The other co-captain, McIntosh, began the season where he left off as a junior, buried on the bench. But his hard work, as well as aforementioned circumstances, led to his emergence and he wound up starting the final 15 games. McIntosh’s energy, defensive quickness and his offensive explosiveness and improved perimeter shooting helped make him a catalyst.

Douglass called his emergence as a starter a turning point in the season and McIntosh was named Most Inspirational Player at the postseason banquet.

McIntosh contributed 7.3 points per game, 11.3 during the Big West Tournament.

Hunter, a sophomore point guard, started 31 of the 34 games in which he appeared. His 8.8 points per game were third-most on the team and he led the squad in assists (2.2 per game). His 56 three-pointers also led the team and his 41 steals ranked third. He averaged 12.3 points in the tournament.

Rembert, a freshman walk-on, started the final three games and was the hero of the semifinal win over UCSB. His ability to handle defensive pressure and break down defenses with penetration, made him a rising star in the eyes of Anteater rooters.

Lauer’s three-point-shooting acumen, he had seven against UC Riverside and 50 for the season, and competitiveness should make him a valued asset next season. Lauer, who started 13 games, averaged 6.2 points.

Junior Kevin Bland (5.8 points, 5.4 rebounds per game and a team-best 53 steals) will be counted upon to step up his offensive game next season. But the 6-8 forward’s instincts at both ends, and his willingness to fill any role, made him a valuable support player this season.

Sophomore Chad DeCasas, a 6-5 wing who averaged 4.9 points and started 17 games, is another player with breakout potential next season.

“We had a lot of challenges,” Douglass said. “We never had the same lineup, until about five or six games into league [they used nine different lineups on the season]. But we had a lot of players who just kept improving. I guess the thing about this team was that everything we tried to do to improve, they were very coachable and accepting of.”

This team became the third in UCI history to reach the Big West Tournament title game, the first since 1994 and the first under Douglass, who became UCI’s career wins leader this season. Douglass is 171-154 in 11 seasons at Irvine and 547-243 in 27 seasons as a head coach.

Douglass said he has been energized by the arrival of Athletic Director Mike Izzi. “The wind is back in my sails,” Douglass said.

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