UCI turns up defense to roll in final tuneup

Barry Faulkner

The college basketball career of UC Irvine true freshman Darren Fells

has yet to officially begin. But the former Fullerton High star has

already shown that his ability to catch on rivals the quickness

Anteater Coach Pat Douglass has glowingly attributed to his hands and

feet.

Fells, a 6-foot-7, 245-pound forward, who had seven points and six

rebounds in 15 minutes off the bench in the Anteaters’

exhibition-opening win last week, cracked the starting lineup in

Thursday’s 67-41 home exhibition victory over Division II Cal State

Los Angeles.

Fells collected six points and eight rebounds while contributing

to the hosts’ impressive defensive display that frustrated the

visitors and left Douglass beaming.

“Defense,” Fells said of the element Douglass emphasized the most

in the practice interval between the ‘Eaters’ two exhibition

blowouts.

Douglass said it was Fells’ ability to grasp that concept, as well

as greater quickness, that helped him displace 6-10 junior Adam

Metelski from the starting five.

“I liked what I saw in practice [from Fells],” Douglass said after

his team stifled the Golden Eagles on its way to a 36-14 halftime

lead.

Fells had one steal, but his length, mobility and aggressiveness

inside helped force the shorter visitors to attack almost exclusively

from the perimeter.

The Golden Eagles made just 4 of their first 25 field-goal

attempts (16%) until Mario Kralj sank a three-pointer at the

first-half buzzer. Kralj’s three ball ended a scoreless drought of

just more than 11 minutes, during which time the visitors missed all

seven field-goal tries and committed six turnovers.

UCI’s defensive dominance triggered a 20-0 run that all but put

the game away before intermission.

“If they don’t hit a three at the end of the first half, we give

up 11 points in the half,” Douglass said. “Our energy on defense was

a big improvement [from the first exhibition win to the second]. That

wasn’t a bad half of basketball.”

The Golden Eagles outscored the hosts, 26-21, the first 14 minutes

of the second half, but UCI tallied the game’s final 10 points to

send most of the 1,059 in attendance away anticipating the Dec. 19

season opener against visiting Cal State Dominguez Hills.

Junior guard Ross Schraeder scored a game-high 16, while senior center Greg Ethington added 12 and junior guard Shamar Armstrong

chipped in 10 off the bench.

Junior guard Jeff Gloger contributed nine points, a game-high 10

rebounds, four steals and five assists, matching junior point guard

Aaron Fitzgerald for game-high honors in the latter category.

Ethington had eight rebounds and Fitzgerald added six, as the

winners built a 49-32 advantage on the boards.

Cal State Los Angeles, defeated, 56-49, at UC Santa Barbara in its

exhibition opener Nov. 4, finished 15 of 55 from the field (29.1%)

and committed 21 turnovers, four more than the Anteaters.

“We have some things to clean up, but we tried some different

combinations and that was to be expected,” said Douglass, who played

his entire 11-man roster.

“Fells and Patrick Sanders [a redshirt freshman who added two

points, four rebounds and one blocked shot Thursday] showed their

athleticism. I don’t think we’ve had two athletic freshmen in quite

some time.”

Douglass couldn’t hide his optimism.

“I think we’re going to be fun to watch,” he said. “The kids are

really listening to what we want them to do. I think, by the second

half of league, we’re going to be pretty good.”

ZOTS -- Though Thursday’s exhibition victory does not count in

terms of official statistics or team records, UC Irvine has held only

two opponents to fewer points in its regular-season history. St.

Mary’s managed just 37 against UCI on Jan. 3, 2001 and Idaho scored

just 38 against the Anteaters Feb. 7, 2002 ... Adam Parada, who

completed his UCI career last season, has hooked on with the Utah

Snowbears of the American Basketball Association, after being cut

late in the preseason by the Sacramento Kings. The 7-foot center, who

tops UCI’s all-time blocks list with 149, had a team-high 21 points

and 12 rebounds in Tuesday’s 119-89 preseason win over the Fresno

Heatwave ... In an age of shoe contracts, the Cal State Los Angeles

players’ choice of footwear stood out. All 11 Golden Eagles dressed

for Thursday’s game had on a different model shoe.

*--*

Exhibition

UC Irvine 67, Cal State Los Angeles 41

Cal State Los Angeles -- Folonis 13, Smith 3, Lay 3, Kralj 12, Jackson 5, Gavaldon 3, DeJesus 2.

3-pt. goals -- Folonis 1, Smith 1, Kralj 1, Gavaldon 1.

Fouled out -- Smith, Lay.

Technicals -- Folonis 1.

UC Irvine -- Ethington 12, Fells 6, Schraeder 16, Gloger 9, Fitzgerald 7, Armstrong 10, Sanders 5, Bruckner 2.

3-pt. goals -- Armstrong 2, Schraeder 1, Fitzgerald 1.

Fouled out -- None.

Technicals -- None.

*--*