Chris McNealy hit four 3-pointers and scored a career-high 24 points Thursday to lead UC Irvine to a 65-59 upset of Cal State Fullerton in the quarterfinals of the Big West tournament.
The seventh-seeded Anteaters (12-19) will meet top-seeded Long Beach State in Friday's semifinals.
Adam Folker had his third double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds for UC Irvine, which hit 10 of 22 from 3-point range. Michael Wilder and Derick Flowers scored 11 points apiece.
Orane Chine scored 20 points and Omondi Amoke had 10 points and a tournament-record 21 rebounds for the second-seeded Titans (21-9), who had won both regular-season meetings. Kwame Vaughn and D.J. Seeley added 12 points each.
UC Irvine, which led wire to wire, sank its first four 3-pointers in building an 18-6 lead.
McNealy made 5 of 6 free throws in the final 34 seconds to help secure the win.
The Titans had won eight of nine to close the regular season.
