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UCI coach Russell Turner with Devin Tillis (left) and Jurian Dixon following Wednesday’s game. (PHOTO: Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone).
UC Irvine men’s basketball coach Russell Turner got emotional Wednesday night talking about what the Anteaters 81-77 overtime victory over University of Alabama-Birmingham in the quarterfinal round of the NIT meant to the program.
The victory at the Bren Events Center sent the Anteaters (31-6) to the semifinals of the NIT for the first time in school history. UCI will face North Texas at Hinkle Field House in Indianapolis, Ind. Tuesday at 4 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time in a game that will be televised live on ESPN.
“I think this is a further validation for our program of what we’ve built here of the quality of players that we have and the belief we have as a program,” Turner said after pausing a moment when asked by an OC Sports Zone reporter about the win. “I feel like we’ve shown that in the post-season each time we’ve made it. Everybody sees it in the NCAA Tournament. This NIT has been different for us because we played at home and so to be able to do that here and benefit as we did tonight from the edge the crowd creates is really special.
“The players earned that with their performance, winning more games on the road than anybody else in the country. What I feel like is it is a further example of the overall excellence that we’ve built and maintained and that our players create and it’s a really special honor to be a part of the players creating this, because that’s what it’s about, the post-season is about the players and I think I’ve got a good understanding of that, I do think I’ve been able to help build confidence that we can perform and that we can overcome the adversities we’ve faced.
“I’m not surprised with what we’re doing because I have great belief in who we are and what we are and the buy-in we get from the young men who come here because they come here wanting to play on nights like this. It’s hard to say that any of us dream of playing in the NIT, but we do dream of competing and having the opportunity on national TV to represent this great university and to show who we are and our connectiveness because that’s valuable and it’s special and I’m happy for these guys that they get to be a part of it.”
Myles Che impact
Turner was asked by Jacob Ramos of the The New University the performance of sophomore guard Myles Che, who bounced back from a tough first half to finish with 13 points, 11 in the second half. Che earned honorable mention all-Big West honors this year.
“We couldn’t be doing what we’re doing without Myles joining our team this year as a transfer and then finding a way to integrate himself with a veteran team that’s really good with high expectations and figure out a way to help us be better,” Turner said. “I didn’t think he did a very good job of that for a lot of the game, he’s an emotional guy, and it looked to you like he was getting beat us because he was just flopping and flopping which is what he sometimes does as an expression of frustration.
“I challenged him at halftime with all of that because I thought he was distracted, and when he’s distracted, he’s not as good. I ended up taking him out late in the game after what I thought was a distracted turnover and when he came back in, his focus was laser sharp. He’s made plays like he did tonight in many games this season down the stretch. He has belief and our team has belief in him too that he’s earned over time …. He’s going to continue to get better like all these guys have this year and everybody in our program has, and I’m confident in that.”
Kyle Evans contributes
Former Santa Margarita High School standout Kyle Evans, a 6-10 junior forward, contributed eight points and was a force on defense with three blocks in the win.
“Without question, he had an impact, at the rim,” Turner said of Evans, who transferred from Colorado State. “The plays he made were momentum plays because they turned our defense into offense. We’ve seen that from Kyle on multiple nights; we didn’t get off to a good start in the game.
“Their centers really dominated around the rim in the first half. But in the second half they were not able to do that and down the stretch we made the plays in the paint to win. Kyle wasn’t in there down the stretch but I thought his performance gave our team the type of energy that is contagious. He ignited the crowd, understandably, with the plays that he made. He’s just been an outstanding player who excels in his role and he did it on offense and defense by running the court.
North Texas next
Turner said North Texas, UCI’s next opponent, will be a challenge.
“They’re really good from Conference USA, they’re a defensive oriented team, they’re known for their defense,” he said. “They are a little bit like we are, they play a very slow tempo, they’re known for that and controlling games, I think it will be a great match-up and a close game. I know they will be ready, we’ve got to travel East, which we’ve had to do multiple times this year. We’ve got to show our experience and make sure we are ready to take off on Tuesday, April first.”
The winner faces the winner of the other semifinal between Chattanooga and Loyola Chicago in the championship game Thursday, April 3 at 6 p.m. also on ESPN.
More Anteater notes
Courtesy UCI Athletic Communications: With a 31-6 overall record, the program has tied the school record for most wins in a season with the 2018-19 team that went 31-6 ….. UCI has nine NIT appearances, the most of any program in the Big West. The Anteaters are 5-8 in the tournament …. UCI has been the class of the Big West Conference winning seven regular season titles in the last 12 years …. Turner, now in his 15th season, is the winningest coach in UCI history with a record of 320-186 …. In national stats, the Anteaters are ranked third in free throw percentage (80.3 percent) and fifth in defensive rebounds per game (28.84) …. On Wednesday, the Anteaters broke the school record for free throws made in a season with 617 over 37 contests. The previous mark was held by the 1971-72 team which made 616 of its 873 attempts in 28 games.
For full view, click on the photo:
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—Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com