‘Eaters solidify top spot

Senior point guard Aaron Fitzgerald’s 28 points lead UC Irvine to 67-59 win at Cal State Fullerton Saturday. UCI ups Big West win streak to six.FULLERTON -- While host Cal State Fullerton sorely missed junior scoring leader Bobby Brown for the much of the second half Saturday, UC Irvine senior point guard Aaron Fitzgerald simply couldn’t miss.

Fitzgerald made all five of his field-goal attempts after halftime, including three three-pointers, to help the Anteaters claim a 67-59 men’s basketball victory, their sixth straight in Big West Conference play.

Fitzgerald scored 22 of his game-high 28 points after halftime, making up for a combined five points and 2-for-17 shooting from the field by UCI starters Ross Schraeder, Darren Fells and Patrick Sanders.

Fitzgerald’s ability to take over sparked the Anteaters (10-8, 6-0 in conference), who trailed, 24-23, at halftime and 38-31 with 14:13 left in the game.

Brown, who came in averaging 19.3 points a game, played just four of the final 20 minutes, due to a sprained ankle suffered Thursday. He finished with 11 points in 25 minutes.

“He shouldn’t have played,” Titans Coach Bob Burton said of the unanimous preseason all-conference honoree. “He could barely walk through our walk-through [Saturday morning], but he wanted to play. We let him try it, but his ankle affected everything.”

With Brown sidelined, Fitzgerald assumed the spotlight.

“With about 12 minutes to go, Fitzgerald stepped up and literally kicked our butts,” Burton said. “He is the key to why they’re winning, because he does such a good job of keeping everyone involved.”

But Fitzgerald’s willingness to involve himself as the primary offensive weapon, helped the ‘Eaters match their best conference start in four seasons.

“Our whole plan was not to help off [Fitzgerald] and leave their other shooters open,” Burton said. “The other guys can all shoot it, so we wanted to make [Fitzgerald] score.”

UCI Coach Pat Douglass said Fitzgerald’s second-half production was a matter of necessity.

“We stayed in the game with our defense, certainly not our offense,” Douglass said. “They got with our shooters and we couldn’t convert some shots inside. Then, as a last resort, we had Aaron penetrate a little bit. I thought his penetration was the key for us.”

Fitzgerald turned a driving layup into a three-point play to forge a 39-39 deadlock with 12:23 left. After Dustin Price scored off a steal to give UCI the lead, Fitzgerald nailed a three-pointer, then drove and dished to Price for a layup. Fitzgerald made two more three-pointers and two free throws in the next 2:42, as part of a 20-2 run that helped UCI seize a 56-41 cushion with 7:56 remaining.

Fitzgerald finished 8 of 12 from the field, including 3 of 5 from beyond the arc. Junior Nic Campbell contributed 15 points and Douglass singled out the defensive contribution of senior guard Shamar Armstrong.

Big West Conference

UC Irvine 67,

Cal State Fullerton 59

Score by Halves