UCI’s Hunter recognized

UC Irvine men’s basketball point guard Michael Hunter, who averaged 6.8 points and 2.4 assists for the Anteaters heading into Friday’s Big West Conference Tournament semifinal against Long Beach State, has been named Mid-Major Freshman All-American by collegeinsider.com.

Hunter scored 16 points, two shy of his career high, to help the No. 5-seeded Anteaters defeat No. 4 UC Santa Barbara, 70-52, in the Big West quarterfinals Thursday at the Anaheim Convention Center.

The 5-10 Hunter was one of 16 honored on the team that is selected by a group that includes Division I coaches, NBA scouts and the collegeinsider.com staff.

Hunter, who had started 16 of the 30 games in which he had appeared before Friday, was also a member of the Big West All-Freshman team. He led the Anteaters with 73 assists and 32 steals.

Long Beach State defeated UC Irvine, 77-63, Friday. Hunter scored seven points.