SAN DIEGO — In a year when the coronavirus pandemic has made it challenging to even hold practices, a UC Irvine basketball team with a lot of young or less-experienced players figured to endure its share of early growing pains.
Facing a deep San Diego State squad that has been establishing itself as one of the best programs in Southern California in recent years, the Anteaters paid for their sloppy play on Friday, committing 25 turnovers in a 77-58 loss to the Aztecs at Viejas Arena.
Sophomore forward Keshad Johnson came off the bench to score 14 points for SDSU (2-0), scoring 13 in less than three minutes during the second half as the Aztecs blew open a previously tight game. Senior forward Matt Mitchell added 11 points, junior forward Nathan Mensah and senior guard Trey Pulliam had nine points apiece, and junior forward Aguek Arop grabbed seven rebounds for SDSU, which turned those UCI turnovers into 26 points.
Senior guard Jordan Schakel scored only three points despite coming into the contest as the Aztecs’ second-leading returning scorer (15 ppg).
Senior center Brad Greene had 11 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots for the Anteaters (0-2). Freshman guard Dawson Baker added 10 points, junior forward Collin Welp had 10 points and four rebounds and sophomore forward J.C. Butler had eight points, four rebounds and four assists.
The game followed a similar pattern from UCI’s season-opening 86-72 loss to Pepperdine two days earlier.
On Wednesday, UCI led Pepperdine by eight midway through the first half, then fell behind by 23 in the second half. Against SDSU, the Anteaters were ahead after 15 minutes but trailed 34-25 at halftime and by 28 with eight minutes left.
The Anteaters had three more turnovers (14) than baskets (11) in the first half but benefitted from a 20-13 rebounding advantage and the Aztecs’ slow start. SDSU missed 16 of its first 24 shots from the field and UCI still led 25-23 with 3:37 left, before the hosts closed the half on an 11-0 run. The Anteaters had zero baskets and five turnovers to close out the half.
Keyed largely by Johnson’s flurry, SDSU opened the second half with a 19-4 run extended the lead to 53-29.
Johnson scored just 34 total points in 18 games last season, with a previous career-high of seven, but when Arop picked up his third foul, the 6-foot-7 wing subbed in with 17:05 left in the second half and provided a spark. By the 14:06 mark, Johnson had three 3-pointers, a dunk off a lob pass and two free throws after another attempted dunk.
He finished with his team-high 14 points, four rebounds and one steal in just 17 minutes.
UCI shot 47.9 percent (23 for 48) from the field and held SDSU to 40.3 percent (25 for 62) while outrebounding the hosts 38-31, but the Aztecs were far more proficient from 3-point range, going 13 for 32 compared to UCI’s 5-for-18 effort. Despite being outrebounded, SDSU had a 17-6 advantage in second-chance points. Neither team shot free throws well.“I saw improvement tonight on the defensive end and with our rebounding,” UCI coach Russell Turner said. “I thought our fight and spirit was improved as well. We did dictate defensively for most of the first half, but I don’t think our conditioning and physicality is good enough yet to sustain the type of defense we play for the entire game and especially against the type of strong and deep team that San Diego State is. I give them a lot of credit and their ability to force turnovers against us. We are a long way from where we want to be, but I do see it as an improvement.”
UCI faces Bethesda University, an NCCAA program based in Anaheim on Saturday at 8 p.m. at the Bren Events Center.
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