Box Score

 

IRVINE, Calif. --- Junior Dominique Dunning recorded his first career double-double as UC Irvine topped Hampden-Sydney College, 82-53, in a non-conference game Wednesday afternoon at the Bren Events Center.

Dunning had 11 points and 10 rebounds in 27 minutes off the bench, and he also registered a career-high three assists.

Junior guard Alex Young scored a game-high 13 points for the 'Eaters (7-6) and he added six assists and four steals.

Junior forward Mike Best scored 10 points, hitting 5 of 6 from the field, and added three blocked shots, while senior guard Travis Souza had nine points, canning 3 of 4 threes.

Senior post John Ryan scored eight points, hitting 4 of 6 shots, while junior guard Reed McConnell and freshman guard Haroldas Saprykinas added seven points each.  That was a career high for McConnell and Saprykinas tied his career high.

Guilherme Guimaraes led the Tigers (8-2) with 11 points while Greg Lewis added nine.

UCI built a 35-18 halftime lead, shooting 61.5 percent from the field in the opening 20 minutes, and led by at least 14 points throughout the second half.

The 'Eaters shot even better in the second half at 70 percent and hit 66.1 percent of their shots in the game to Hampden-Sydney's 37.5 percent.

UCI outscored the Tigers, 44-20 in the paint, and won the battle of the boards, 39-19.

UCI's 7-6 sophomore center Mamadou Ndiaye missed his eighth straight game (sprained foot) and sophomore guard Luke Nelson his second (facial injury).  They are the Anteaters' top two scorers this season and a return date for either player has not been set.

Hampden-Sydney, an NCAA Division III school located in Virginia, is the alma mater of UCI head coach Russell Turner.  A two-time All-American for the Tigers, Turner is Hampden-Sydney's career-scoring leader and a member of the school's Athletic Hall of Fame.

"Obviously, we played pretty well offensively with our shot selection and balance," Turner said of his UCI team.  "Every man on our team is committed to our success.

"Alex Young is revealing how good he can be and Dominique Dunning is a high-level player who always produces.

"It was difficult for me to get in a competitive mode for a program (Hampden-Sydney) that I really care about it.  It made this a different day for me, but I was able to focus once the game started and our team was able to sustain its competitive level," Turner added.

UCI concludes the non-conference portion of its schedule at New Mexico State Saturday night before opening Big West Conference play hosting Long Beach State Jan. 8 at 7:30 p.m. in the Bren Events Center.

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