UCI Dispatches Fresno State, 92-82

Lessons learned Thursday from UC Irvine’s 92-82 Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. victory over Fresno State Thursday at the Bren Center:

--UCI won’t have to play big, bad Nevada Las Vegas in the first round of the PCAA tournament.

--Scott Brooks sure can shoot.

--Fresno State is still terrible on the road.

--Leads of 22 points tend to make a team relax.

--When Brooks can’t shoot, it’s nice to have Wayne Engelstad around.

Brooks, the 5-foot 11-inch senior guard who played his last home game Thursday, scored 27 points, 22 in the first half. In that half, Brooks made 7 of 12 field goals, including 4 three-point shots.

With Brooks leading the way, UCI (9-9 in the conference, 14-13 overall) led by 49-31 at the half behind 55% shooting from the field.

Fresno State (3-13, 8-19) helped when it could, making only 5 of 14 free throws (36%) and 13 of 33 field goals (39%).

Brooks entered the game averaging 23.4 points. He had 17 when Fresno State beat UCI, 66-65, Jan. 5 in Selland Arena.

Brooks scored his 17th point, a layup, with 10 minutes left in the half.

Fresno State, which, for the first time since 1980, will not take part in the PCAA tournament, is 0-13 on the road this season.

The Bulldogs, who have won two PCAA championships and a National Invitation Tournament title in the 1980s, are entrenched in last place.

However, Brooks made only one of 10 shots in the second half. But Engelstad stepped in to score 16 second-half points to finish with a game-high 29 points.

Engelstad, a 6-8 junior center, made 13 of 14 free throws and had 10 rebounds. With Engelstad scoring, UCI built a 22-point lead, 75-53, midway through the second half.

However, Fresno State cut that lead to nine, 85-76, with 1:52 left.

“I think there’s a tendency for a team to let down when it gets a lead like we had,” Engelstad said. “I think that’s the same for all teams.”

The victory meant that UCI, which had already clinched a berth in the PCAA tournament, will not be seeded eighth in the tournament and thus will not have to play No. 1 Nevada Las Vegas, the conference champion, in the first round.

“I really don’t care about that,” said Bill Mulligan, UCI coach. “The way we’ve played in tournament, I just want to get a win.”

UCI is 2-8 in tournament play, 2-6 under Mulligan.

“I’m glad we don’t play them,” said Engelstad. “The way we look at it, we hope like the No. 7 seed upsets the No. 2 seed so we wouldn’t have to play them until the final.”

Engelstad’s scenario is not far-fetched, considering that 2 1/2 games separated the No. 2 team (UC Santa Barbara) and the No. 8 team (Cal State Long Beach).

The Bulldogs were led by forward Mike Mitchell, who scored 24 points and had 11 rebounds. Jervis Cole added 14 points and 6 rebounds before he fouled out late in the game.

The game was UCI’s last until the PCAA tournament starts Thursday.