Matthew Discovers Desire at Most Opportune Times

It was another close shave for David Matthew, UC Irvine tennis player. Only this time, it was his match, not his head.

The situation was desperate, for the Anteaters and Matthew--who has shorn his curls in favor of a buzz cut this season. He was trailing Oregon’s Carlos Navarro in the third set of a singles match, 4-1.

Then Matthew received word that the Anteaters and Ducks were tied, 3-3, and the match was on the line. Game, set, match. Matthew d. Navarro, 1-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5).

“I heard our guy had lost and then everyone from both teams started cheering at our match,” Matthew said. “I didn’t let [Navarro] have anything after that. I got real focused. I got more intense.”

And unbeatable.

It is hard to explain Matthew’s desire in such dire moments. He can’t. Coach Steve Clark can’t.

Maybe it’s because Matthew is a sophomore from Victoria, British Columbia, where the real competition is getting an indoor court between October and March. Or maybe he just needs a kick start.

Or maybe, it’s his new look.

“He doesn’t have those goldie locks any more,” Clark said. “Maybe he’s more aerodynamic.”

Are the head winds that bad going from baseline to the net?

“Coach is just superstitious,” Matthew said. “My hair was just getting in the way. It does look intimidating. I’ve noticed that with other guys.”

Against Pacific earlier this season, Matthew won the first set of his singles match, then began having back spasms and ended up losing the second set.

Matthew needed a trainer to work out the kinks before the final set.

“David drummed the guy, 6-1,” Clark said. “It was quite impressive.”

It was the same sort of desire Clark noticed when he first saw Matthew at the Fiesta Bowl junior tournament two years ago.

Clark was there to look at some Southern California players. He had heard about Matthew, but only through correspondence with Matthew’s coach.

The tournament was the first time Matthew had played outdoors in months. Winter can be a little rough on your game in Canada.

“You don’t get a lot of court time,” Matthew said. “The indoor courts are always booked.”

Still, he looked impressive enough to interest Clark.

“His coach told me that David was working on his forehand and serve,” Clark said. “Plus, it was the first time he was playing outdoors. He had those three things working against him and he fought like heck. I thought there was a real solid base there.”

Even with all that hair.

“Maybe all my players should shave their heads,” Clark said.

NO X-GAMES EITHER

A new rule for the Anteater tennis team: No ultimate Frisbee.

Clark enacted it after Matthew and Chris Chung were injured earlier this year playing the game. Matthew injured his thumb and Chung suffered a sprained ankle.

“Now, every time it rains, the guys come in and say, ‘Let’s go play ultimate Frisbee in the mud.’ They do it to torture me,” Clark said.

Other infractions, though, are more serious.

Chung, who with Chris Ma is the nation’s 50th-ranked doubles team, was suspended for the Oregon match.

“He needs to work with his teammates better,” Clark said.

Ma was teamed with Chris Lee for Sunday’s match, which they won.

BASKETBALL JONES

Ben Jones’ performance against Cal State Fullerton Saturday was hardly surprising, but a bit out of character.

Jones scored a career-high 28 points, making seven of eight three-pointers, in a 104-97 loss--Irvine’s 11th consecutive defeat. He is a deadly three-point shooter and has been on the mark previously this season, but usually in lost-cause games.

He had 21 points against Oregon State, 25 against Arizona and 17 against UC Santa Barbara. He made 15 of 33 three-pointers in those games. The Anteaters were down double-digits in those games before Jones got hot.

In other close games, Jones has vanished. During a five-game stretch, he was four of 25 from the field and two for 20 on three-pointers.

It would be unfair to blame the Anteaters’ downward spiral completely on Jones, but his play, or lack of it, is in the mix.

So the Fullerton game could be an awakening. The only three-pointer he missed was tipped by the Titans’ Ike Harmon. It would have cut the Fullerton lead to 101-100 with 11 seconds left.

“I don’t have an answer for it,” Jones said. “I wish I did. I have to try to be more consistent. When I’m not shooting well, I have to rebound and do more on the defensive end.”

Jones had seven rebounds against Fullerton.

“He needs to be able to rebound and score eight to 10 points,” Coach Pat Douglass has said. “If he does it, that will be fine.”

Which he hasn’t done consistently.

“No comment,” Douglass said.

PRICE OF OMISSION

While Jones was flinging in threes Saturday, Gabe Cagwin--Irvine’s other deep threat--had to buy a ticket. He was suspended for violating team policy on a trip to Logan, Utah. It followed a 15-point performance against Utah State.

Cagwin has missed four games, two when Douglass didn’t play him and two when Douglass wouldn’t play him. Cagwin didn’t get off the bench against Long Beach State and Nevada. He was also suspended for the Boise State game.

“I’m sure there are people who wonder why I haven’t played in a couple games and maybe they think I’m too small,” said Cagwin, who is generously listed at 5 feet 10. “In games that I have played, I haven’t been getting a lot of minutes. But when I have been in there, I have shown what I can do.”

Cagwin said it before his latest suspension.