UCI rallies to tame Lions

IRVINE — On a night when the little guys were most prominent on the stat sheet, it was 6-foot-9 senior center Zack Atkinson who might have been the difference in UC Irvine’s 81-73 nonconference men’s basketball win over visiting Vanguard Saturday night.

Atkinson had his first career double-double with a career-best 14 points and 10 rebounds, the latter matching a career high, to help the Anteaters (5-3) overcome a hot start by the Lions (1-3) in front of 791 at the Bren Events Center.

UCI senior guard Michael Hunter, generously listed at 5-10, also had a milestone night, matching his career high with 22 points and establishing a new career best with six three-pointers. He also moved to No. 3 on the school’s career three-pointers list (174), surpassing Chris Brown (170) and Ben Jones (168).

Vanguard senior point guard Gregory Scott, closer to 5-8 than his listed height of 5-10, went off for the visitors. Scott netted 11 of 16 field-goal attempts, including four of six from three-point range, en route to a game-high 29 points.

But Atkinson not only played big, he played above the rim. Three of his seven baskets were dunks, the third on an alley-oop pass from Eric Wise — Atkinson’s second straight dunk in the final 1:37 of the first half — that helped UCI rally from what once was a 35-29 deficit.

Atkinson’s alley-oop dunk in transition gave the Anteaters a 36-35 advantage with 40 seconds left before halftime.

After Mitch Boyce hit a three-pointer to put Vanguard, an NAIA school, back on top, UCI freshman Mike Wilder beat the halftime buzzer with a three-pointer that gave the hosts a 39-38 lead.

Wilder’s three ball also sparked a 19-5 run that helped UCI assume command, dropping Vanguard to 1-4.

“The way [the Lions] came out was like a Division I team,” said Atkinson, who made seven of 11 field-goal tries. “I really couldn’t tell the difference. They were tough; shockingly tough.”

But if Atkinson’s third dunk of the half didn’t shock the scrappy visitors, it may have turned the momentum in UCI’s favor.

“That’s a momentum-shifter every time you dunk,” Atkinson said. “That was huge.”

Irvine’s ability to go smaller — replacing 6-8 junior starting forward Pavol Losonsky with the 6-2 Wilder in the lineup to open the second half — may also have been a key.

“He created some turnovers at the end of the first half and the start of the second,” UCI Coach Pat Douglass said of Wilder.

“We’ve been going big, starting Wise at [forward], but we didn’t stay big tonight. We went small.”

Hunter, who finished six of nine from beyond the arc, eight of 16 from the field, and contributed a team-best five assists, was a small wonder for the hosts.

But Scott, who finished 11 of 16 from the field, including four of six from threedom, and added a team-high four assists, was the biggest little man on the floor.

“Gregory Scott had an exceptional game,” Douglass said. “He’s a tough little player. Strong. Hard to match up with.”

Vanguard matched or bettered Irvine much of the first 20 minutes, using ball movement and shooting accuracy, particularly from distance.

Vanguard shot 50% from the field and 55.6% from three-point range in the first 20 minutes. The Lions finished 11 of 21 from beyond the arc (52.4%), but couldn’t keep pace inside.

The Lions made just seven of 17 shot from inside the arc after halftime and were out-rebounded, 22-10, in the second half.

“In the first half, we played really well; well enough to be right there,” Vanguard Coach Fred Litzenberger said. “But in the second half, we got out to a bad start. We didn’t move the ball nearly like we did in the first half. And [UCI] made shots.”

Vanguard’s zone defense helped Hunter, as well as backcourt mates Darren Moore (two for five), Patrick Rembert (one for one) and Wilder (one for two), connect on 55.6% of UCI’s three three-point tries (10 for 18).

“[Vanguard] shot the ball really well, but we weren’t too bad ourselves,” Douglass said. “We haven’t faced too many teams that were in a zone and they were in a zone. They were packing it inside, so we wanted to be able to go outside.”

Douglass also said his team had an advantage inside.

Wise finished with 17 points and eight rebounds, while forwards Losonsky, Adam Folker and Peter Simek combined for 12 points and seven rebounds.

Vanguard center Alex Chapman was just three of 13 from the field and finished with six points and three rebounds.

Mitch Boyce, a 6-11 senior, had 17 points, netting five of eight three-point tries.

Nonconference

UC Irvine 81, Vanguard 73

Vanguard– Azizi 9, Thompson 3, Chapman 6, Scott 29, Whitelow 6, Boyce 17, Heenan 3.

3-pt. goals – Boyce 5, Scott 4, Azizi 1, Heenan 1.

UC Irvine – Wise 17, Losonsky 4, Atkinson 14, Hunter 22, Moore 10, Folker 4, Simek 4, Wilder 3, Rembert 3.

3-pt. goals – Hunter 6, Moore 2, Rembert 1, Wilder 1.

Halftime – UCI, 39-38.