UCI Runs the Show Both Inside and Out in Win Over Penn

UC Irvine’s future opponents can learn a couple of valuable lessons by watching the tape of Friday night’s 90-66 victory over Pennsylvania.

First, don’t let the Anteaters entice you into a running game--even if you’re getting some easy baskets. UCI uses 10 players, and they’re used to a breakneck pace. If you do plan on playing at Irvine’s tempo, cancel practice and schedule daily 10Ks instead.

Second, keep center Ed Johansen and forward Wayne Engelstad away from the offensive boards. When you think of UCI, power basketball is not the first thing that pops to mind. But Johansen and Engelstad have a knack for being in the right place and can put back a lot of their teammates’ misses if you give them the chance.

Penn, of course, learned all this the hard way in front of 2,167 in the Bren Center. The Quakers stayed with Irvine for much of the first half, but tired in the final five minutes before intermission and trailed, 45-33, at halftime. They caught their breath at the break and cut UCI’s advantage to two, 49-47, on an alley-oop dunk by Tyrone Pitts, but UCI outscored Penn, 28-5, in a 10-minute stretch midway through the second half.

“We looked good at times and really bad at times,” said Engelstad, who led Irvine with 18 points and had 9 rebounds. “But we ran our break well and we went to the boards hard. The break is our game. If we get them running, we’re in good shape.”

Irvine (4-2) is off to its best start since the 1982-83 season, when it won five of its first six, but the schedule gets tougher with games against New Orleans, UCLA and Bradley next week.

UCI Coach Bill Mulligan said it was 10 minutes into the game before the Anteaters stopped free-lancing and began running the planned offense. “Then we were so concerned with going inside we were passing up open jumpers,” he said. “I can’t figure it out. But I thought we played hard and I’m really overjoyed that we finally held a team’s star (Pitts) under his average.

Pitts, who is averaging 19.3, scored 14, including a few backboard-shaking dunks. The Quakers’ other guard, Walt Frazier, son of the former New York Knick star, led Penn with 16 points. Forward Ben Spiva scored 14 and had a team-high 7 rebounds for Penn (1-3).

UCI dominated the boards, outrebounding the Quakers, 54-38. Of those 54 rebounds, 30 were offensive. Johansen, who had 15 rebounds, grabbed 9 under his own basket and scored 10 points.

“Ed played really great again,” Engelstad said. “He’s really been something lately.”

UCI shot 49% from the field, but uncharacteristically made just one three-pointer and attempted only eight. The Anteaters proved that, on this night at least, they can win without making a dozen three-pointers.

And there were a couple of other positives.

Senior Frank Woods, a key player last year who had been a non-factor so far this season, moved back into the power forward spot and scored 10 points and had 6 rebounds. Woods had asked to be moved into a wing position earlier in the season.

“The democracy’s over,” said Mulligan, who had originally agreed to Woods’ request. “Frank’s going to be an inside guy.”

And junior Kevin Floyd, who has been riding an emotional roller coaster after being suspended for the first two games of the season, seems to have found an even keel. He turned in his best all-around performance Friday night. Floyd, swinging from small forward to off guard, hit 5 of 7 field goal attempts and all 3 free throws to score 13 points.

“We got on our horses in the second half,” Floyd said, smiling broadly. “I don’t think their legs wanted to get into our transition game anymore.”