Schraeder keeps UCI cut above

Barry Faulkner

Looking to cut short a five-game three-point shooting slump, UC

Irvine junior guard Ross Schraeder turned to a barber this week.

And whether it was “a little off the top” that helped him drain

five second-half threes Thursday or not, his performance spurred the

host Anteaters to a crucial 72-63 Big West Conference men’s

basketball triumph in front of 2,187.

The win helped the Anteaters (14-12, 7-10 in conference) clinch a

berth in the eight-team Big West tournament that begins Wednesday at

the Anaheim Convention Center. It also pulled UCI into a fifth-place

tie with UCSB (10-16, 7-10) with one regular-season conference game

remaining.

A fifth-place finish would mean a first-round tournament clash

with the No. 8 finisher.

Schraeder, who has ranked among the top three-point shooters in

the nation all season and came into Thursday shooting 41.4% from

threedom, had connected on just 4 of 26, a mere 15.4% from beyond the

arc, in his previous five contests.

“It was getting frustrating,” said Schraeder, who made his only

first-half field-goal attempt (a two-pointer) against the Gauchos. “I

was in a serious slump.

“I talked to [assistant coach Terry Boesel] Tuesday at practice

and he said it might be time for my hair to go. So, I got it cut

Tuesday and I think it worked.”

The Gauchos, who had won the last six meetings with UCI, made

Schraeder and the Anteaters work to overcome a 10-point deficit built

with some hot some hot three-point shooting by the visitors.

Freshman walk-on Derek Rasp made back-to-back three balls to cap a

10-0 run that turned a seesaw affair into a 43-34 advantage with

15:55 left in the game.

Rasp made 3 of 5 from beyond the arc and senior teammate Chrisman

Oliver was 4 of 5 from three-point range.

UCI was down, 52-42, with 11:53 left, when Schraeder connected

from the top of the key to begin his three-point barrage.

Schraeder found the range from the right wing for another

three-pointer more than a minute later and his three-pointer from the

right corner with 6:29 left capped a 17-4 Irvine run that electrified

the crowd and gave the hosts a 57-56 edge.

UCI led, 63-61, when Schraeder came around a screen and connected

again from the top of the key.

After Santa Barbara missed two shots in the lane on its ensuing

possession, junior point guard Aaron Fitzgerald rebounded and bolted

to begin an Irvine fast break that ended with a three-point Schraeder

swish from the right wing.

Schraeder’s final three, his fourth straight conversion from

beyond the arc, created an insurmountable 69-61 cushion.

“It felt great to knock down some shots,” said Schraeder, who was

5 of 7 from long range and is now 72 of 160 from threedom (45%) this

season.

Schraeder’s 19 second-half outburst gave him 21 for the game,

while senior center Greg Ethington added 17 points and 12 rebounds to

the cause.

“Obviously it was nice to see Ross find his stroke,” UCI Coach Pat

Douglass said. “It hasn’t been there the last couple weeks.”

Douglass called Ethington a warrior inside, especially in the

second half.

Adding to the victory for the Anteaters was junior guard Jeff

Gloger (12 points and five rebounds and strong perimeter defense) and

Fitzgerald (11 points, a game-high six assists and four rebounds).

Freshman Darren Fells also chipped in six points and four boards

off the bench to earn praise from Douglass.

“It feels good,” Douglass said of locking up a tournament berth, a

feat that eluded UCI last season, despite four senior contributors.

“It’s better than having to watch, like we did last year. Our guys

have worked awfully hard to be in this position and nothing has come

easy for us this year.”

The two teams took turns leading in a first half in which neither

team led by more than three.

Fitzgerald gave the Anteaters a halftime edge by driving the

length of the floor for a layup with one second left, after a Santa

Barbara turnover allowed an Irvine timeout with six seconds

remaining.

UCI hit 20 of 24 free throws, including 9 of 10 by Ethington, while Santa Barbara was 10 of 12 from the foul line.

The Anteaters close out the regular season Saturday at 7:05 p.m.

against visiting Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (5-21, 3-14).

A UCI win, combined with a Long Beach State triumph at home

Saturday over UCSB, would give the Anteaters sole possession of fifth

place.

Should UCSB and Irvine tie, the tiebreaker advantage would go to

the school that beat the team highest in the standings. UCSB would

have that advantage, having beaten third-place Cal State Northridge.

ZOTS -- Saturday’s game, UC Irvine’s final home contest this

season, will include Senior Night festivities to honor Greg

Ethington, the lone senior on this year’s squad.

Big West Conference

UC Irvine 72,

UC Santa Barbara 63

UC Santa Barbara -- Turner 4, Rasp 15, Davis 6, Harris 4, Oliver

18, See 7, Chambers 5, Kennedy 4.

3-pt. goals -- Oliver 4, Rasp 3, See 1, Chambers 1.

UC Irvine -- Gloger 12, Campbell 3, Ethington 17, Schraeder 21,

Fitzgerald 11, Fells 6, Armstrong 2.

3-pt. goals -- Schraeder 5, Fitzgerald 1.

Fouled out -- Campbell.

Halftime -- UC Irvine, 32-31.