Bench rescues ‘Eaters

NORTHRIDGE – Cal State Northridge has won or shared the last two Big West Conference regular-season titles and visiting UC Irvine was coming off what Coach Pat Douglass, thought was a bad conference loss Monday at home.

But in the “what have you done for me lately” department, UCI held a significant upper hand Thursday.

The result was a hard-fought 65-62 Big West men’s basketball win in which a handful of Anteaters stepped up and pitched in.

Reserve guards Patrick Rembert and Derrick Strings scored 12 points each to join five Anteaters in double figures, allowing UCI (8-7, 2-1 in conference) to rebound from the aforementioned setback to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

Rembert, a junior who has struggled this season, shooting 24.2% from the field and averaging just 3.3 points coming in, made four of seven field-goal tries, including the biggest shot of the game from three-point range with 2:16 left.

The three-pointer, on a kick-out pass from Eric Wise, broke a 59-59 deadlock and proved to be a blow from which the Matadors (4-10, 0-3) could not recover.

Strings, a sophomore who had scored just three points in seven games this season and was benched for last week’s conference opener due to what Douglass called “practice issues,” made four of five field-goal tries, including three of four from three-point range.

Strings’ production in just 18 minutes was enough to earn the envy of Northridge Coach Bobby Braswell, who said his Matadors’ current seven-game losing streak has created a lack of confidence up and down his roster.

Braswell said it was Irvine that made the plays it had to down the stretch.

“[UCI] had some other guys step up and hit some big shots,” Braswell said. “Rembert makes the big three down there at the end and the Strings kid was just phenomenal tonight. [The ’Eaters] made some good shots.”

Wise, a sophomore, had 10 of his 14 points after halftime to help UCI protect a 31-30 halftime lead.

Senior guard Darren Moore was another hero for the winners, scoring 11 points, getting two crucial offensive rebounds in the last minute, and netting two free throws with six seconds left to finalize the scoring.

Senior guard Michael Hunter chipped in 11 points for UCI, which was forced to make two stops down the stretch before running off to whoop it up in the locker room.

Northridge called timeout with 16 seconds left, trailing, 63-62, and then executed the play it wanted, getting 6-foot-7 junior center Lenny Daniel the ball just outside the left block.

But Daniel, leaning into a defender, forced the shot that came up short and Wise snatched the rebound.

Northridge had one last chance after Moore’s free throws, but a three-point attempt by sophomore guard Vinnie McGhee glanced off the front of the rim, into the hands of Moore as time expired.

Moore, Wise and sophomore Adam Folker, who started after his 14-rebound performance against Cal Poly, had six rebounds apiece to lead UCI.

The ’Eaters made seven of 12 first-half three-point tries and finished eight of 18 from beyond the arc.

Northridge couldn’t keep up from the outside, shooting two for nine from three-point range and matching its season low for three-pointers made in a game.

“I don’t think they would have anticipated us making seven of 12 threes in the first half against their zone,” said Douglass, who was proud of his team’s effort.

“This was a good win. I thought we had a good flow about what we were doing. [Wise] played 40 minutes on Monday, so he was a little weathered. But [Folker] banged inside for us and a lot of players stepped up.

“Rembert had a great game and [Strings], who hadn’t seen action in a long time, made some buckets that we desperately needed.”

Northridge’s last lead was 16-14, but the score was tied nine times, five after intermission.

Rembert’s three ball was UCI’s lone field goal in the final 8:21, but the visitors made nine of 12 foul shots during that stretch to finish 21 for 27.

Northridge made 18 of 30 free throws.

Big West Conference

UC Irvine 65, Cal State Northridge 62

UCI – Wise 14, Folker 3, Moore 11, Hunter 11, Strings 12, Atkinson 2, Rembert 2.

3-pt. goals – Strings 3, Moore 2, Wise 1, Hunter 1, Rembert 1.

Fouled out – Atkinson.

Technicals – None.

CSUN – Menner 11, Osunsanmi 2, Daniel 8, Hill 8, Daniels 11, McGhee 3, Galick 15, Cody 2, Lizarraga 2.

3-pt. goals – Daniels 1, McGhee 1.

Fouled out – Hill.

Technicals – None.

Halftime – UCI, 31-30.