Men's Basketball:

Nov. 23, 2009

Box Score

RICHMOND, Ky. --- Eric Wise and Michael Hunter combined for 38 points but UC Irvine fell to UTSA, 66-56, in a sub-regional game of the O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic in Richmond, Ky., Monday night.

Wise scored a game-high 23 points, including 15 in the first half, while Hunter scored 15 points, hitting 3 of 7 treys. Wise added nine rebounds and two blocked shots.

Devin Gibson led UTSA (3-0) with 19 points, four assists and three steals. Terry Fields and Morris Smith IV added 11 points and five rebounds each.

UTSA took a 34-27 lead at halftime and built a 54-37 lead on a steal and layup by Gibson with 10:34 remaining in the game.

The Anteaters (2-2), fueled by the effort off the bench from junior Emil Kim, cut the deficit to 55-45 on two free throws by Wise with 6:32 left.

The Roadrunners climbed to a 64-51 lead before Hunter scored five consecutive points to close the gap to 64-56 with 1:03 remaining. Fields hit a pair of free throws with 39 seconds left for the final margin.

Kim, playing in his first game of the season, scored six points, hitting 3 of 4 field goals, and added three rebounds and one steal in 12 reserve minutes.

UTSA shot 50 percent for the game, including 54.5 percent in the second half. The Anteaters, who out-rebounded the Roadrunners, 34-28, shot 39.2 percent in the contest.

Darren Moore added six points for UCI and Adam Folker, making his first start of the season, had four points and nine rebounds. Senior center Zack Atkinson, who started the first three games of the season, sat out with a shoulder ailment.

"Emil Kim came in and provided a lift with his effort in the second half," UCI head coach Pat Douglass said.

"Eric Wise was very productive, especially in the first half, but we have to have more players other than Eric step up and contribute offensively.

"UTSA has very good quickness that caused us some difficulties."

UCI faces host Eastern Kentucky Tuesday at 3:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) and Fairleigh Dickinson Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. (PT).

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