UC Irvine crushed the Chapman Panthers 87 to 36 on Friday night, opening up the regular season with their first win of the season. The lopsided affair was expected, given that Chapman is a Division III program.

It was inevitable after looking at the height difference that Chapman was going to be outmatched by UC Irvine. Chapman’s tallest player, John Joyce, stood at 6’8”. UC Irvine’s Mamadou Ndiaye was a modest 7’6”. Simply put, the Panthers could not match up against the Anteaters’ height, athleticism, and defense.

Mike Best (No. 33) swats emphatically to preserve Irvine’s enormous lead in the second half.  By Albert Halim

Despite the uneven matchup, the game had a slow start as both teams struggled to find their offensive rhythm in the opening four and a half minutes, with the scores tied at five apiece. It was only a matter of time until the Anteaters would blow the lid open and pull the game away. After struggling to find an opening on the offensive end, Irvine’s coach Russell Turner subbed out Ndiaye for his senior center, John Ryan with 15:32 left in the first half.

After the senior’s introduction, the Anteaters never looked back, going on an 18-0 in ten minutes. Ryan’s ability to run the floor opened up space on the offensive end as Luke Nelson hit two three-pointers in that period while Ryan scored 6 points. The first half ended 40 – 16 in Irvine’s favor as the ‘Eaters shot a torrid 63% from the field while Chapman only converted 20% of their baskets.

Mamadou Ndiaye’s (No. 34) offensive skillset is limited to reaching over opponents and dunking the basketball, but his defense makes him a valuable asset to the team. By Albert Halim

Irvine continued their torrid scoring in the second half, forcing eight turnovers in the opening five minutes to go on a 17-2 run. The offense never slowed down throughout the second half and unlike last week’s exhibition match against Simon Fraser, the Anteaters maintained their intensity even when their reserves stepped onto the court. By the sound of the buzzer, Irvine held Chapman to 28% shooting in the second half while making 72% of their field goals.

Sophomore, Luke Nelson led UCI in scoring with 18 points, going 7-9 from the field. John Ryan contributed 14 points off the bench with his 6-7 shooting and compiled four blocks. Guard Colin Zavrsnick scored a team-high 10 points for Chapman, but shot an inefficient 3-11 from the field. Irvine will face their first Division I program on November 15, as they face the University of Pacific at home.

Game Notes

The Number 1 Center?

On paper it looks like Mamadou Ndiaye, due to obvious reasons, but John Ryan presents a strong argument. Ndiaye’s key asset is his defense. Aside from his height and length, Mamadou has the awareness and intelligence to make the most out of his defensive range. His ability to cover the paint on his own gives the team the luxury to switch and tamper with a 2-3 and 1-4 zone. Guards can freely go for steals, knowing that Ndiaye will back them up. UC Irvine nabbed four steals in the second half.

Yet, Ndiaye’s offense leaves much to be desired. He looked uncomfortable in the post, despite being matched up against a 6’8” center. Moreover, his lack of mobility makes it difficult to run pick-and-rolls while his poor midrange game allows opponents to slack off him when he’s outside the paint. UC Irvine’s halfcourt sets looked stagnant as Ndiaye’s presence led the defense to clog the paint, thus limiting the Anteater’s ball movement.

John Ryan has a more versatile skillset than Ndiaye, changing the pace from the bench. Photo taken by Albert Halim

Ryan may not be an amazing shot blocker like Ndiaye, but he does get the job done on defense. Moreover, unlike Ndiaye, he can run the floor, set screens, and cut through the paint. Ryan’s movement does spread out the opposing defense and gives his teammates plenty of space to find penetration or an open shot.

While figuring out who should be the main starter is up for debate, coach Turner is pleased to have two centers who can change the tempo to his disposal.

The Earl of Buckets

Luke Nelson’s performance should be taken with a grain of salt, but his confidence and composure when he took contested shots must be noted. Coach Turner asked Nelson to step up as the primary weapon on offense this season, and it looks like he is taking that role to heart. His highlight of the night was a slight hesitation move from the perimeter that caused his defender to slip on the floor, giving Nelson an open three for the splash.

What Does This Game Prove?

Friday’s opener could only be summed up as a confidence booster for UC Irvine. The fact that their opponents were no match physically is already enough reason to explain why UC Irvine won at such a giant margin. While Irvine did flash some skill, it would be nice to see how they’d fare against a school who could match them physically. Sunday’s match against the University of the Pacific will do just the trick.