‘Eaters off and running

Steve Virgen

Jeff Gloger wasn’t going to let Long Beach State steal UC Irvine’s

Big West Conference opener. Gloger, UCI’s redshirt freshman guard,

recorded a game-high five steals, scored a team-high 17 points and

fueled the Anteaters’ 17-0 second-half run that led to a 69-52

victory over the host 49ers Saturday.

“I’m deceptively quick,” Gloger said, describing his mentality on

defense. “I have long arms and I play with intensity on defense. This

is my first league game on the road, but I’m not as nervous as I was

when I first started to get used to the (college) game.”

Gloger also said he did not take the halftime score, 28-28,

personally, even though UCI was favored to win over 1-9 Long Beach

State. “That team and their talent is not indicative of their

record,” he said.

“They were looking at this game as a fresh start.”

In a night of upsets in the Big West, UCI (7-3, 1-0 in the Big

West) avoided one by coming out with an energetic second half.

The Anteaters won and began defense of their Big West

regular-season title they shared with Utah State, which lost at

University of the Pacific, 57-55, in overtime.

Long Beach State’s Tony Darden connected on a jump shot with 3:35

spent in the second half to put the 49ers up, 33-30.

And, then the Anteaters responded with their 17-0 run.

Gloger produced a steal and a layup to give UCI its first lead of

the second half, 34-33. He recorded another steal immediately after

junior center Adam Parada scored in the paint. Gloger dished to

Stanislav Zuzak, who was fouled. After Zuzak hit his free throws,

Gloger nailed a three-pointer 32 seconds later. Then, 78 seconds

later, Gloger found Jordan Harris open in the corner and Harris

knocked down a three-pointer for a 44-33 lead, which prompted a 49er

timeout with 13:58 remaining.

Zuzak, a junior reserve forward, hit one of his two free throws

that gave UCI a 47-33 lead with 12:15 remaining, to cap the run.

“I wouldn’t have counted on him making a three tonight,” UCI Coach

Pat Douglass said of Gloger, who entered Saturday night’s game having

made one three-pointer in as many attempts through nine games.

Douglass also said Gloger’s 17 points came unexpectedly. Gloger also

had three assists and two blocked shots.

Douglass went with a bigger lineup in the second half, which

included putting Harris, a 6-foot-5 forward, on Long Beach State’s

leading scorer Tony Darden. Douglass said the change helped produce

UCI’s 17-0 run.

“We got a lift from Adam and Stan, especially Adam in the first

half,” Douglass said. “For Adam to score 10 points in the first half

when we were struggling is a blessing. If he plays like that he won’t

have to come off the bench.”

Parada came off the bench and scored 12 points and grabbed 13

rebounds in 27 minutes. Zuzak and Harris also scored 12 points each.

Mike Hood, another reserve, went 2 of 5 from beyond the arc and

contributed eight points.

The Anteaters outrebounded the 49ers, 34-19. Darden led the 49ers

with 18 points.

“Their depth hurt us,” Long Beach State Coach Larry Reynolds said.

“Their rebounding hurt us. We didn’t take care of the ball and that

allowed them to jump on us (in the second half).”

Reynolds said the 49ers were able to stay with UCI in the first

half because they played well defensively and they were not careless

with the ball. The Anteaters struggled in the first half, as they did

not hit a shot from the field until 5:22 had passed. UCI earned its

first lead with 3:13 left in the first half, after Zuzak knocked down

a three-pointer off an assist from Gloger for a 26-24 edge.

UCI is at Cal State Fullerton Wednesday at 7:05 p.m.

ZOTS -- The Big West upsets included, Cal State Fullerton winning,

57-55, in overtime at UC Santa Barbara, and the University of Pacific

defeated visiting Utah State, 66-44, in a battle of Big West

unbeatens. Idaho also shocked Cal State Northridge, 73-66 ... UCI

freshman Mike Efevberha struggled Saturday, as he went 0 for 3 and

finished with one point in 10 minutes of play ... The Anteaters shot

46.8% from the field, while the 49ers were 39.5%.