Green Is a One-Man Show for Anteaters

The on-again, off-again Jerry Green show was on Wednesday night.

The 6-3 junior guard from UC Irvine juked and faked and stopped and popped from all over the court and when he was done he had a career-high 32 points that helped the Anteaters to a 57-37 victory over St. Mary’s.

It was fewest points allowed by the Anteaters since a 30-26 loss to Long Beach State 20 years ago in the pre-shot clock era. It was also the fourth consecutive victory for Irvine (8-2), which is off to its best start in two decades.

But the Anteaters struggled with their ball-handling, making 20 turnovers.

The Gaels (2-10) made only four of their first 12 shots and 12 of 48 overall, yet trailed only 15-12 with a little over 10 minutes gone in the game after a hook shot by 6-10 center Ross Benson.

But Green ended a six-minute Anteater drought, scoring the next seven points.

“He flat-out killed us tonight, particularly in the first half, “ said St. Mary’s guard Jovan Harris, who helped guard Green. “In the second half we switched up on him, but Green is a great player.”

Harris finished with 21 points, but was seven of 17 from the field.

“I believe he can carry the team if he wants to,” Harris said of Green. “He did tonight.

This is the same Green who got off to a slow start this season before tying his previous career high of 29 points in an 80-72 victory at UC Riverside. But then he scored only three in a 56-55 victory at Washington.

“I know now what I can do,” Green said.

The rest of the Anteaters, meanwhile, needed everything Green did. Irvine is still lamenting the loss of center Dave Korfman, who injured his head in a fall while weightlifting on New Year’s Day.

Korfman underwent a surgical procedure Tuesday to relieve pressure from blood on his brain.

He remains at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian but has been taken out of the intensive care unit.

The rest of the players, except Green, seemed to be somewhere else, especially in the first half. No other players scored in double figures, but center Adam Parada and reserve forward Stanislav Zuzak had seven rebounds each.

Nonetheless, while Green was making six of his first seven shots, his teammates were committing 12 turnovers and keeping St. Mary’s in the game.

Green sparked a 13-2 run for a 28-14 first-half lead with a three-point jumper from the right baseline with 9:17 to play in the half. The next time down the court he drew a a two-shot foul from Harris with a nice head fake and made both. Then he tossed in a one-hand putback a minute later.

When St. Mary’s cut the Irvine lead to nine points twice just before the half, Green responded with lay-ups to stifle the Gaels’ rally.

His steal and basket a minute into the second half ended his hot hand. He missed his next five attempts.

“We only made six turnovers in the second half,” Irvine Coach Pat Douglass said. “I like that.”