Anteaters, with little in reserve, fall to Titans

IRVINE — While freshman Emil Kim has clearly emerged as the favorite reserve of the UC Irvine student-rooting section, Anteaters’ Coach Pat Douglass had a less-sentimental assessment of the lack of production coming from his non-starters after a 72-61 loss to Big West Conference visitor Cal State Fullerton Wednesday.

“It’s a problem,” summed up Douglass after his bench produced just four points — all by Kim and all in the last 3:57 of the game.

Fullerton reserves had 22 points.

And until Patrick Rembert’s three-pointer with 5:12 left with UCI trailing, 61-47, the hosts had just six combined points not produced by their consistent top three scorers (Eric Wise, Michael Hunter and Darren Moore).

The lack of scoring, however, was not the only weakness exposed and exploited by the visitors, who posted a 42-29 rebounding advantage and scored 44 second-half points.

Included in the post-intermission barrage by Fullerton (12-11, 6-5 in the Big West) was a 22-10 surge within a span of just fewer than five minutes, in which the Titans had four three-pointers and two three-point plays.

But, perhaps, most humbling for UCI were four dunks after halftime by the Titans, who gashed the Anteaters’ defense with surprising ease.

“That’s why we were in zone,” said Douglass, who used a two-three zone alignment the whole first half and most of the second, before shifting to man-to-man to try to force a turnaround. “Because when we had to go man, we couldn’t handle dribble penetration.”

Irvine’s inability to handle its Big West business threatens to render the Anteaters (10-15, 3-8) the lone team that will not advance to the conference’s eight-team postseason tournament.

UCI has lost four straight conference contests, and seven of its last eight. The ’Eaters are tied for last place with UC Riverside, which was idle Wednesday.

Riverside earned a 74-68 win at Fullerton Saturday.

Wise was typically solid, collecting a team-best 19 points by netting six of 13 field-goal tries and draining seven of nine from the foul line.

Moore had 14 points and matched Wise’s six rebounds, while Hunter had 10 of his 13 points after halftime.

Junior guard Patrick Rembert had nine points, a team-best four assists and four rebounds, netting four of six from the field, including his only three-point try.

Senior center Zack Atkinson led the ’Eaters with eight rebounds and two blocked shots. But his only field goal in five tries was a dunk on an alley-oop pass from Hunter midway through the first half.

“We just couldn’t score in the first half [after which UCI trailed, 28-24],” Douglass said. “And then our bench had to step up and our bench didn’t perform well.”

Douglass said fatigue contributed to defensive breakdowns after halftime.

“I think some guys have to go so many minutes, I think we wear down,” Douglass said. “They wore us down.”

UCI led twice in the first 10 minutes, before a 12-2 Fullerton run put the Titans up, 21-14.

With Fullerton up, 31-25, early in the second half, a Hunter three-pointer keyed a 7-0 surge that gave the hosts their last lead, 32-31, with 15:16 left.

Gerard Anderson had 17 of his team-best 19 points after halftime for Fullerton, which had 15 turnovers, nearly twice the Anteaters’ eight.

Big West Conference

Cal State Fullerton 72, UC Irvine 61

CSUF – Anderson 19, Thompson 15, Johnson 2, Webster 5, Streeter 9, Chin 14, Peltier 7, McGuire 1.

3-pt. goals – Thompson 3, Streeter 2, Peltier 2.

Fouled out – Johnson.

Technicals – None.

UCI – Wise 19, Atkinson 2, Moore 14, Hunter 13, Rembert 9, Kim 4.

3-pt. goals – Hunter 1, Moore 1, Rembert 1.

Fouled out – None.

Technicals – None.

Halftime – CSUF, 28-24.