ANCHORAGE, Alaska --- UC Irvine sophomore Chris McNealy recorded his first career double-double but the Anteaters fell to Southern Mississippi, 78-67, in a first-round game of the Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout in Anchorage Thursday night.
UCI will face Central Michigan in a consolation semifinal Friday at 3:00 p.m. (PST).
McNealy had 15 points and 11 rebounds, plus tied his career highs with three assists and three steals. He scored 13 of his points in the second half.
Junior guard Daman Starring also scored 15 points (12 in the first half) and added six boards and three assists as UCI fell to 0-4 on the season.
Freshman guard Aaron Wright registered 13 points and four rebounds, and junior forward Michael Wilder 11 points and five boards for the 'Eaters.
Torye Pelham led Southern Miss (3-1) with 17 points and added eight rebounds. LaShay Page had 15 points while Maurice Bolden recorded 14 points and 10 boards.
Southern Miss led 24-15 in the first half before UCI went on a 9-1 run, with six of those points coming from Starring, to close within 25-24 with 1:34 left. The Golden Eagles hit 5 of 6 free throws in the final 1:16 to lead 30-24 at halftime.
Southern Miss built a 15-point lead on several occasions in the second half, the last coming at 64-49 on a layup by Neil Watson with 6:16 remaining.
The 'Eaters battled to within nine at 70-61 on two McNealy free throws with 2:40 left, and again at 74-65 on a layup by McNealy with 1:00 remaining.
Four consecutive free throws by Watson then helped close out the win for the Golden Eagles.
UCI shot 36.2 percent from the field in the game and Southern Miss 37.9 percent. Both teams hit 6 three-pointers while Southern Miss was 22 of 28 from the free-throw line to UCI's 19 of 26. The Eagles outrebounded the 'Eaters, 46-39. UCI committed a season-high 17 turnovers (10 in the first half) and Southern Miss 15.
"I don't know that we had that sense of urgency in the first half that my young team should have this time of year," UCI head coach Russell Turner said.
"Southern Miss is athletic and got after us, and we didn't handle the pressure will early in the game.
"Daman Starring kept us in the game almost by himself in the first half. Chris McNealy stepped up big in the second half and we need him to do that on a consistent basis throughout the game.
"We need to make more plays in the paint to win some games," Turner added.
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