Men’s Basketball: Anteaters shine to earn first win

Jaron Martin scored and Jonathan Galloway rebounded at unprecedented levels Monday to help the UC Irvine men’s basketball team bounce back from a season-opening loss and handle South Dakota State, 73-58, at the Bren Events Center.

Martin, a senior guard who went one for 10 from the field and had just three points in a 72-56 setback against Utah State on Friday, made 10 of 19 field-goal tries, including four three-pointers, to produce a career-best 24 points.

Galloway, a 6-foot-10 junior forward, had 14 rebounds and four blocked shots and his defense helped hold Jackrabbits forward Mark Daum, the preseason player of the year in the Summit League, to nine points on three-for-11 shooting. It’s the first time in 23 games that Daum did not score in double figures.

“[Martin] was the best player on the floor tonight,” UCI Coach Russell Turner said of the veteran who is in his first year as a full-time member of the starting lineup. Martin added four rebounds, three assists, one steal and had just one turnover in 31 minutes.

Galloway, another first-year starter who had five rebounds and was zero for three from the field in a scoreless opener, had nine rebounds by halftime on Monday. He was one for four from the field and had two assists and one steal in 24 minutes Monday.

“I thought Galloway dominated this game with his defense and rebounding,” Turner said. “[He played] winning basketball. [He is] a player who can have that impact with offensive rebounding energy and his defense rebounding presence. And it wasn’t just his rebounding and blocks, it was his intelligence and his versatility. There is so much there of him that I admire and that we didn’t see that much of in the first game.”

UCI (1-1) turned it up a notch on defense, holding a team coming off three NCAA Tournament appearances in the last five seasons to 28.8% shooting from the field (17 for 59), including five for 30 from threedom (16.7%).

“We have speed and quickness and athleticism that is different than what we’ve had in my [first six seasons] here,” Turner said. “Not only were we fast and quick and athletic, but we were smart and under control and, in general, at a better competitive level on defense [Monday], because we allowed a team to come in here and bust us on our home floor [Friday]. I thought we were better in our man-to-man and our zone [Monday] and that’s important, because I want to have versatility, defensively.”

UCI used a 17-3 run, including seven points from freshman guard Max Hazzard run, to end the first half to take control. The ‘Eaters pushed the lead to as many as 24.

The Anteaters were without senior All-Big West Conference guard Luke Nelson, who is close to returning from an injured hamstring, Turner said.

Freshman Evan Leonard had nine points in 20 minutes off the bench and freshman reserve guard Eyassu Worku had seven points, four rebounds, three assists and four turnovers in 24 minutes.

UCI visits Cal on Wednesday and returns home to meet Pacific on Saturday.

UCI will play South Dakota State (0-2) again on Nov. 25 to open the Sanford Pentagon Showcase in Sioux Falls, S.D.

Nonconference

UC Irvine 73, South Dakota State 58

SDS – Tellinghuisen 11, Thiesen 0, Daum 9, King 8, Gentry 3, Flatten 12, Howell 9, Wallace 3, Dykman 2, Orris 1.

3-pt goals – Tellinghuisen 2, Flatten 1, Wallace 1, Gentry 1.

Fouled out – None.

Technicals – None.

UCI – Smith 4, Galloway 2, Dimakopoulos 8, Martin 24, Hazzard 7, Leonard 9, Eyassu 7, Rutherford 6, Rivers 2, Greene 2, Edgar 2.

3-pt. goals – Martin 4, Hazzard 1, Leonard 1, Smith 1.

Fouled out – None.

Technicals – None.

Halftime: 37-26, UCI.