Nov. 21, 2010
Box Score
IRVINE, Calif. - Behind a career-high 26 points by senior guard DeAndre Brown, the Louisiana Tech men's basketball team beat UC-Irvine 76-72 Sunday evening at the Bren Center in Irvine, Calif.
Tech's win was its fourth in five days as it improved to 5-1 while UCI fell to 2-3.
Brown's 26 points was off of 10-of-18 shooting from the field including two three-pointers. The Fort Worth, Texas native averaged 19.6 points over the three games in the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer and was named MVP of the Irvine subregional.
Ashaolu was also named to the all-tournament team as he scored 16 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the field and grabbed nine rebounds.
Sophomore Tevin Hall scored a career-high eight points including some timely baskets down the stretch. He also added a career-high six rebounds.
The Bulldogs started the game with a 12-8 lead, but then the Anteaters scored 14 unanswered points to go ahead 22-12 eight minutes into the game. Tech battled back and closed the half on an 11-7 run to trail by just four, 34-30 at halftime.
Tech shot 37 percent from the field in the first half (10-27) while UCI shot 40.6 percent (13-32).
The Eaters came out of halftime and hit three three-pointers in the first two minutes. The Bulldogs trailed 54-44 until a 10-2 run cut the deficit to just two points, 56-54 with 11:21 remaining. Two minutes later, Brown hit two free throws to give Tech its first lead since the 15:16 mark of the first half, 59-58. Brown hit back-to-back field goals to extend Tech's lead to 69-65 with 4:40 remaining.
UCI then scored the next five points to take a 70-69 lead until Brandon Gibson hit big time three-pointer to put the Bulldogs on top 72-70 with 1:50 left in the game. On the next possession, Ashaolu hit a lay-up to give Tech a four-point lead, 74-70 with 1:05 remaining. UCI scored a lay-up to cut the deficit to 74-72. However, after a UCI foul Brown connected on both free throw attempts as Tech held on for the 76-72 win.
The Bulldogs shot 46.3 percent from the field in the game (25-54) and the Eaters shot 45.8 percent (27-59). Tech outrebounded UCI 37-33.
UCI's Darren Moore matched Brown's point total with 26 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the field.
Louisiana Tech will next play at UALR on Friday at 2 p.m.
