Photo by Laura Jacobsen
Audio / Live Stats / UCI Game Notes
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IRVINE, Calif. --- UC Irvine travels to Conway, S.C., to take on Coastal Carolina in a semifinal game of the CollegeInsider.com Tournament Sunday at the HTC Center.
Game time is set for 6:00 p.m. (PT) and the contest will be carried on the CBS Sports Network.
Coach Russell Turner's Anteaters are 27-9 overall following a 67-66 win at Louisiana in a CIT quarterfinal game Wednesday night in Lafayette, La.
Senior forward Mike Best hit the game-winning jumper with 3.6 seconds left and senior guard Alex Young led UCI with 21 points.
Junior guard Jaron Martin added 12 points, junior center Ioannis Dimakopoulos 11, and redshirt freshman forward Jonathan Galloway registered career highs of 13 rebounds and four blocked shots.
The 'Eaters won on the road at North Dakota, 89-86 (OT) in the first round of the CIT March 16 and had a bye in the second round.
The Chanticleers of Coastal Carolina defeated Mercer, 65-57, in the CIT first round March 15, New Hampshire, 71-62, in the second round March 19 and Grand Canyon, 60-58, in the quarterfinals Wednesday night. All of Coastal Carolina's games in the tournament have been at home.
UCI's 27 wins are a new school record, as are the team's 14 non-conference victories and 12 road wins this season.
This marks the fourth straight year that UCI has competed in the postseason (2013 CIT, 2014 NIT and 2015 NCAA).
Junior guard Luke Nelson leads the 'Eaters in scoring at 13.7 points per game, junior center Mamadou Ndiaye is averaging 12.2 points and 7.1 rebounds, Young is averaging 10.5 points and 4.4 assists, Best is averaging 9.6 points and 5.1 boards, and Martin 8.6 points.
Coastal Carolina is 21-11 overall and ninth-year head coach Cliff Ellis' Chanticleers were 12-6 in the Big South Conference for third place this season.
Including this year, Ellis has guided Coastal Carolina to the postseason six times in the past seven years.
Junior guard Elijah Wilson leads the Chanticleers in scoring at 14.0 points per game, junior guard Shivaughn Wiggins is averaging 12.6 points, sophomore guard Jaylen Shaw 11.3 points and senior forward Badou Diagne is averaging 11.2 points and a team-leading 7.0 rebounds.
Sunday night marks the first meeting between the schools.
The CIT final will be played Tuesday evening and will also be televised on the CBS Sports Network.
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