Vertical history for UCI

The hashtags were likely flying around the UC Irvine men’s basketball team’s super-sized starting lineup Friday night.

Possibilities included: #skyline-up; #highfive; and #that’selevationHolmes, when the host Anteaters trotted out five starters who averaged 7-feet tall against Division III representative Chapman at the Bren Events Center.

But what is believed to be the tallest lineup in college basketball history (research by STATS LLC dating back to 1996 indicated as much), proved to be about the most interesting part of UCI’s 65-51 victory.

UCI, which is 4-0 at the Bren this season, upped its record to 8-4, while Chapman, which counted the contest as an exhibition, did not absorb any damage to the 4-2 record it held coming in.

“I thought it was an opportunity,” UCI Coach Russell Turner said of the starting unit that included 7-6 Mamadou Ndiaye, 7-2 Ioannes Dimakopoulos, 6-10 Mike Best, 6-10 Jonathan Galloway and 6-8 Shawn Ray. “Chapman is a young team, a Division III team that we respect, but I didn’t think they’d be able to beat us. What we did tonight, I thought the players enjoyed it, and I thought the fans would enjoy it. I thought people around here would have something to talk about and, hopefully, it would generate some interest for both [teams].”

The novelty act lasted just more than three minutes into the contest, and produced a 9-3 UCI lead. It also prompted curious laughter in the stands, with Best operating as the de facto point guard and Ndiaye haltingly dribbling the ball past the half-court line to start on possession. There was also some awkward perimeter passing.

“We didn’t want to play that lineup for very long, or those guys could have been worn out,” Turner said. “I thought [the starters] were ready to play and they did what they had to do to be successful. I was pleased with that first group.”

Chapman, however, was glaringly less-than intimidated, despite having 13 of its shots blocked.

The Panthers, for whom former Costa Mesa High standout players and head coaches Dan Krikorian and Mike Molina are assistants to head man and former UCI assistant Mike Bokosky, pulled even at 18-18 with 7:34 left in the first half. And Chapman was within 36-31 early in the second half, before the ‘Eaters pulled away.

“Give Chapman credit,” Turner said. “[The Panthers] came in and competed, and they competed at a better level than we did for a good part of that game. That sometimes is what happens when you have a game like that at this stage of the season.”

Ndiaye, who made five of six field-goal tries, including two ‘Dou-drop dunks, led the winners with 13 points, seven rebounds, four blocks and three assists in just 17 minutes.

Dimakopoulos chipped in nine points, five rebounds and two blocks in 19 minutes, while Ray’s 11 minutes included his first two points of the season, two rebounds and three blocks.

The colossal quintet had 11 of UCI’s blocked shots and was a combined 12 for 20 from the field (60%) to help the hosts shoot 49.1% for the game (26 for 53).

Aaron Wright, a 6-3 senior guard, was five for six from the field on his way to 12 points in 20 minutes off the bench. Wright joined usual starters Ndiaye, Best, Luke Nelson and Dominique Dunning to open the second half, taking the place of senior Alex Young, who was not in uniform.

“I did talk to [Bokosky] beforehand and he was incredibly supportive [of the tall UCI lineup],” Turner said. “One of the guys talked me into it and we did it. We seized the day. We did something we couldn’t have otherwise done. That’s a good thing.”

Turner was less enthusiastic about his team’s occasionally sloppy play (14 of the game’s 24 turnovers and periodic defense breakdowns that led to layups).

“I’d like my team to be a little bit better,” Turner said. “We haven’t handled the ball very well for a couple games in a row and I’m surprised at that. We need to be better.

“I’m hoping our play will distinguish us, not our size. We have a long way to go to be as good a team as I imagine we can be. We have to get that figured out.”

UCI closes 2015 with road dates at Sam Houston State (Monday), Monday’s UTEP-Norfolk State winner (Tuesday) and Kansas (Dec. 29) to complete a string of 11 of 12 games away from the Bren.

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Nonconference

UC Irvine 65, Chapman 51

Chap – Taylor 12, Atwater 4, Haslam 21, Nelsen 5, Hamlin 3, Green 3, Griffin 3.

3-pt. goals – Haslam 2, Hamlin 1, Nelsen 1, Green 1, Griffin 1.

Fouled out – None.

Technicals – None.

UCI – Dimakopoulos 9, Galloway 2, Ray 2, Ndiaye 13, Best 4, Wright 12, Martin 9, Nelson 5, Saprykinas 3, Smith 3, Dunning 3.

3-pt. goals – Dimakopoulos 1, Martin 1, Nelson 1, Saprykinas 1, Dunning 1, Wright 1.

Fouled out – None.

Technicals – None.

Halftime – 34-26, UCI.