‘Eaters notch second victory

Barry Faulkner

On the third day of the Dell Black Coaches Association Classic at

Xavier University Monday, there were surely some heavy-legged

shooters. But UC Irvine sophomore Ross Schraeder clearly wasn’t one

of them.

Schraeder, who had 14 points and four three-pointers in the first

two games combined, made five straight threes, including four during

a six-minute stretch early in the second half to lead the Anteaters

to a 63-60 men’s basketball win over Ohio in the consolation

championship game.

Schraeder, despite missing several minutes due to foul trouble and

fouling out with 2:36 left, finished with a career-high 17 points.

The 6-foot-5 guard was 6-of-7 from the field and 5-of-6 beyond the

international arc (a little more than nine inches beyond the typical

19-9), which was used as an experimental three-point line in the

tournament. He also led the team with four assists and two steals.

Schraeder’s sizzling six minutes, which included a three ball from

senior Stanislaus Zuzak, helped UCI turn a 28-24 halftime deficit

into a 39-35 lead with 13:35 left in the game.

Schraeder’s final three, on an assist by Matt Okoro, triggered an

11-4 Anteater run that produced an insurmountable 47-39 cushion with

9:01 remaining.

“I’ve been in foul trouble [Sunday and Monday], so I felt fresh,”

Schraeder said. “I was getting good looks and my teammates were

finding me.”

Ohio (1-2), which missed 42 of its 60 field-goal attempts to

finish at 30%, had just one field goal in a near-eight-minute span

late in the game to help UCI (2-1) overcome a 23-14 turnover deficit.

“We struggled to take care of the ball and had a few too many

turnovers,” UCI Coach Pat Douglass said. “But we shot the ball well

at clutch times. This was an exceptional win for us.”

The win included 10 points, a team-leading six rebounds and two

blocked shots by 7-foot senior center Adam Parada, who eclipsed 1,000

career points and 600 career rebounds.

Greg Ethington, a 6-8 junior, had 12 points, including sinking

4-of-4 free throws in the final 20 seconds to preserve the victory.

Okoro started for sophomore Mike Efevberha (just 20 points in the

tournament after averaging 20.5 in two preseason exhibition games)

and his man-to-man defensive contribution was much more valuable than

his four points and five rebounds.

“[Okoro] played excellent defense and his senior leadership kept

us focused,” Douglass said.

Ohio’s full-court pressure dented that focus at times, helping

push the ‘Eaters tournament average to nearly 22 turnovers per

contest.

Ohio’s pressure keyed an 11-2 spurt to close the first half and

give the Bobcats an intermission edge.

UCI also made 13-of-16 foul shots in the final 12:25 to carry a two-game winning streak into its Nov. 25 home showdown against

Stanford.

Douglass said the three-game tournament helped define some things

about his team, some of which need work.

“We need to work on taking care of the ball and rebounding

[minus-three against first three opponents],” Douglass said. “We’ve

got a long way to go.”

Ohio Coach Tim O’Shea attributed his team’s bad shooting to

fatigue, as well as ineffective execution. He did, however, praise

UCI’s offensive efficiency.

“Irvine is a very good team and it executed it’s offense really

well,” O’Shea said. “We forced 23 turnovers and had 23 more shots

than [UCI]. When you do that, you expect to win.”

Ohio junior Jaivon Harris, who came in averaging 17 points,

finished with eight.

ZOTS

Though UCI’s first-round loss to Illinois-Chicago, ranked No. 3 in

two-mid major polls, didn’t help its bid for greater nation

credibility, its trip to the Midwest at least introduced the

Anteaters to some heretofore uninitiated. “I had never heard of

them,” Ohio junior guard Diamond Gladney said after his team fell to

the ‘Eaters Monday. “I had heard of them,” Ohio freshman Jeff Halbert

said, “but only because of their nickname.” ... Ohio Coach Tim O’Shea

wasn’t shy about his belief in UCI center Adam Parada’s future. “He’s

going to be an NBA player,” O’Shea said. “He’s very skilled.” ... UCI

was just two points shy Monday of putting up three straight 65 point

outputs to open the season.

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Dell BCA Classic

Consolation final

UCI 63, Ohio 60

UC Irvine -- Schraeder 17, Ethington 12, Parada 10, Zuzak 6, Gloger 6, Efevberha 5, Okoro 4, Campbell 3. 3-pt. goals -- Schraeder 5, Zuzak 1, Campbell 1, Efevberha 1. Fouled out -- Schraeder. Technical fouls -- None. Ohio -- Halbert 15, Gladney 9,

Harris 8, McGowen 8, Bridgewater 8, Stephens 5, Troutman 4, Harbut 2, Annen 1. 3-pt. goals -- Halbert 3, Gladney 1, Stephens 1, Harris, 1. Fouled out -- None. Technical fouls -- None. Halftime score -- Ohio, 28-24.

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