‘Eaters rise to seventh

IRVINE — The options not already narrowed by the diminishing schedule were further depleted by excessive fouls for the UC Irvine men’s basketball team Saturday night.

So, after Anteaters’ star Eric Wise fouled out with 1:42 left, just more than five minutes after senior center Zack Atkinson had already been disqualified against visiting Cal State Northridge, there remained little else for UCI Coach Pat Douglass but to see if someone else could come up big.

Enter 6-foot-8 sophomore reserve Adam Folker, who blocked a shot and pounced on the rebound to thwart the Matadors’ attempt to erase a one-point deficit in the closing seconds.

Folker’s block and sprawling collection of a driving floater by Kenny Daniels with 10.9 seconds left was perhaps the biggest in a string of colossal plays that allowed the ’Eaters to claim a 79-74 Big West Conference triumph in front of 2,620 at the Bren Events Center.

The win pulled UCI (13-16, 5-9 in conference) into a three-way tie for seventh with Northridge (10-19, 5-9) and UC Riverside (12-15, 5-9) with two regular-season conference games remaining.

If things finish as they are now, UCI and Northridge would make the conference tournament’s eight-team field, based on tiebreakers.

But Douglass, whose team ventures to first-place UC Santa Barbara on Wednesday and then finishes at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo on Saturday, said he would rather not tempt fate by holding any tiebreaker edge.

“Yeah, probably so,” said Douglass when asked if UCI needed one more win to assure itself a place in the conference tournament field.

Wise, who had 21 points and 13 rebounds to post his second straight double-double in 33 minutes, went one further.

“We need two more [wins],” Wise said.

Senior Michael Hunter, who like Atkinson was recognized before tipoff of their final home game, joined junior Darren Moore and Folker as UCI heroes down the stretch.

Hunter netted one foul shot to break a 74-74 tie with 23 seconds remaining, then hit a pair from the line with nine ticks left after Folker came up big and called timeout.

Moore sealed the victory with a pair of free throws with one second left.

Hunter had 22 points, four assists and two steals. He did not have a turnover.

Moore was also crucial in the late going, netting 12 of his 17 points after halftime. He made five of seven field-goal tries, including three of four from three-point range, the biggest of those coming with 2:46 left to put UCI up, 74-70.

The UCI students stormed the court after the buzzer, joining UCI players near one free-throw line in an impromptu hopping session fueled by pure joy, and perhaps a little relief.

“Both teams had their backs against the wall, so it was a must win for both of us,” said Wise, who admitted he came with a little extra effort.

Douglass agreed.

“That was as well as he has played in a long time,” Douglass said of Wise, who had nine rebounds at half and finished with six offensive boards.

UCI’s 21-16 rebounding edge at halftime helped the hosts take a 37-35 edge.

But Northridge snatched 22 of the first 26 rebounds after halftime on its way to a 25-8 advantage on the boards in the final 20 minutes.

Even when UCI could not buy a rebound, it was managing defensive stops. UCI forced 12 of the Matadors’ 18 turnovers after the break and the visitors made just 12 of 27 field-goal tries after intermission (44.4%).

Senior Willie Galick, a 6-8, 225-pound bruiser who had 18 points, summed up the importance of this game, as well as the remaining two next week.

“It’s life or death,” Galick said. “This is our season here.”

Big West Conference

UC Irvine 79, Cal State Northridge 74

CSUN – Daniel 16, Galick 18, Daniels 20, Taylor 6, Lyles 0, Hill 5, Cody 3, Cordell 2, Osunsanmi 2, Lizarraga 2.

3-pt. goals – Daniels 3, Hill 1, Cody 1.

UCI – Wise 21, Atkinson 6, Hunter 22, Moore 17, Rembert 5, Strings 5, Flowers 3.

3-pt. goals – Hunter 3, Moore 3, Flowers 1, Strings 1.

Fouled out – Atkinson, Wise.

Halftime – UCI, 37-35.