UC IRVINE — Breathers are rare in the Big West Conference, where parity reigns and every team believes it has a chance to win the conference tournament.
But circumstances led to UC Irvine posting a lopsided 91-61 victory over Cal State Fullerton at the Bren Center on Saturday night. The Anteaters led by 20 at the half and the second half was more or less a foul-fest.
The Anteaters imposed their will on the Titans inside, Brad Greene scoring 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting with 12 rebounds and four blocked shots, and Tommy Rutherford also adding 18 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the field and a perfect 8-for-8 mark at the free-throw line.
Evan Leonard scored 15 points with four steals and Eyassu Worku added 11 points with six assists. The Anteaters (14-9 overall, 6-1 Big West) had a 40-21 advantage on the boards and shot 57 percent (32 for 56) from the floor.
Jackson Rowe and Brandon Kamga scored 18 apiece for Fullerton (8-15, 3-5). Austen Awosika didn’t score and Vincent Lee got into early foul trouble and finished with one point and no rebounds.
Fullerton was coming off a 101-100 overtime loss to Cal Poly on Thursday in San Luis Obispo and played like a team that left its legs somewhere over the Grapevine. The Anteaters had a similar situation, with a Thursday game at UC Davis but their depth allowed them to handle the transition better.
“It was a tough situation for them,” UC Irvine coach Russell Turner said after the win. “The schedule has been odd this season. We’ve already played Fullerton twice and will play UC Davis twice in a week.”
The Anteaters now play five of their next seven games on the road, while Fullerton will be at home for four consecutive games. The usual travel pairings that avoided long one-game trips have been disrupted this season.
“The philosophy is that you have to play them all and be ready for whatever comes,” Turner said. “It’s not always easy in a nine-team conference that includes Hawaii. At the end of the season, everyone plays each other twice, and it comes down to who can win three games in three days.”
“We don’t treat games different,” Rutherford said. “You go out there and play the full 40 minutes. The best teams treat every game as an opportunity to improve and build momentum.”
The Anteaters’ depth is a key to their success, but just as important has been the career progress of Rutherford and Greene. Rutherford is a four-year starter who was foul-prone as a freshman but has become a team leader in recent seasons.
Greene took a redshirt season last year because of the team’s depth and came back in 2019-20 more muscular and polished. The 6-foot-11 junior has a nice hook shot with either hand; he’s also become much harder to move on defense.
“The way we dominated on the boards shows how committed we are,” Greene said. “We stay locked in regardless of the team or situation.”
“That redshirt year was very important for Brad,” Turner said. “He bought into the belief he could get better and that it worked well for the team. Not every guy can commit to do the hard work to get better when they’re not playing. Brad did and he’s a much better player now. It paid off and he’s becoming a complete player.”
Fullerton had won three straight before the intense game at Cal Poly, which included the fact that former Titans assistant John Smith is the new head coach for the Mustangs and was facing his former team for the first time. Cal Poly has also transitioned from a defensive-oriented approach to an up-tempo attack that has given the program a different personality.
The Anteaters jumped out to a quick 14-4 lead before the Titans rallied and drew within two at 16-14 after a Devon Clare 3-pointer.
But UCI launched an 11-0 run behind its big men, Greene, Rutherford and Collin Welp scoring nine of those 11 points. The run came just as Fullerton freshman forward Lee, who had been a big factor in Fullerton’s improved inside game, picked up two quick fouls.
That run to 27-14 then continued to multiply the rest of the half, leading to a 56-36 halftime lead. Greene and Rutherford each had 12 points, the Anteaters shot 60 percent from the field and had an 18-10 edge in rebounds. The Titans had just one offensive rebound in the first half.
The second half was more of the same, and Titans coach Dedrique Taylor substituted liberally once Lee and Jackson Rowe encountered foul trouble. The Titans cut their margin to 16 early in the second half before the Anteaters picked up the pace.
During a halftime ceremony, eight new former players and coaches were inducted into the UCI Hall of Fame, including Jerry Green, one of the most popular basketball players in school history.
Other inductees are Jane Chin (golf), Mike Evans (water polo), Coco Goodson (soccer), Jayson Jablonsky (men’s volleyball), Vince O’Boyle (track coach), Kris Roberts (women’s volleyball) and Rod Spence (baseball).
UCI is home again on Thursday to face UC Davis (7 p.m.) before playing five of its following six games on the road. Fullerton has four straight home games, beginning with a Wednesday date with UC Riverside (7 p.m.).