‘Eaters rout Delta Devils

Campbell scores 22 and Fitzgerald breaks arena record with 14 assists in 94-40 romp.WINSTON SALEM, N.C. -- The UC Irvine men’s basketball team rebounded from Thursday’s season-opening loss with a victory for the ages Friday.

The Anteaters (1-1) hammered Mississippi Valley State, 94-40, in the consolation game of the 2K Sports College Hoops Classic’s Winston Salem Regional at Wake Forest University.

It was the biggest win over an NCAA Division I program in UCI history. It was the second largest margin of victory in Anteater annals, topped only by a 91-23 thumping of Division III Pomona-Pitzer on Dec. 7, 2002.

Junior Nic Campbell scored 20 of his career-high 22 points in the first half and senior point guard Aaron Fitzgerald amassed 14 assists to lead the winners.

Fitzgerald’s assists set a single-game record for the Lawrence Joel Coliseum.

Campbell was 6 of 8 from the field, including 4 of 5 from three-point range to help the Anteaters shoot 63.8% from the field (37 of 58).

UCI was 2 of 18 from three-point range and shot just 32.1% from the field in Thursday’s 79-56 loss to George Mason.

UCI freshman guard Adam Templeton was 6 of 6 from the field, including three three-pointers, to score 15 points off the bench.

Sophomore center Darren Fells made 7 of 11 field goal tries to chip in 14 points and shared game-high rebounding honors (seven) with Campbell.

Ross Schraeder had 10 points for UCI, which had six players contribute to its 12 three-pointers.

UCI had 29 assists with only 10 turnovers.

“Our perimeter play was much better tonight and we demonstrated that we are a good shooting team,” UCI Coach Pat Douglass told reporters in a postgame press conference. “Nic had a remarkable first half and Adam Templeton is a talented freshman whose play tonight will give him confidence for the remainder of the season.”

UCI played without sophomore Patrick Sanders, who suffered a strained ligament in his right knee in the opener and is expected to miss four-to-six weeks.

It was victory No. 499 as a college head coach for Douglass.

Mississippi Valley State (1-1) was within five points with five minutes left in its 78-64 loss to No. 18-ranked Wake Forest Thursday.

The Anteaters return to action Nov. 19 at Stanford.

2K Sports College

Hoops Classic

Consolation game

UC Irvine 94,

Mississippi Valley State 40

UC Irvine -- Campbell 22, Fells 14, Schraeder 10, Fitzgerald 8, Armstrong 7, Templeton 15, Sievers 6, Metelski 6, Kelley 4, Green 2.

3-pt. goals -- Campbell 4, Templeton 3, Schraeder 2, Armstrong 1, Fitzgerald 1, Sievers 1.

Fouled out -- None.

Technicals -- None.

Mississippi Valley State -- Forbes 4, Price 4, Cannon 10, Speech 11, Snow 3, McKey 5, Clark 2, Bryant 1.

3-pt. goals -- Speech 3, McKey 1, Snow 1.

Fouled out -- None.

Technicals -- None.

Halftime -- UCI, 49-20.

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