Irvine Gives Mulligan Double Celebration

UC Irvine basketball Coach Bill Mulligan celebrated his 30th wedding anniversary Tuesday night at Crawford Hall.

Mulligan and his wife, Dorothy, were presented with flowers at center court before Irvine’s exhibition game with Club Bosnia of Yugoslavia.

The celebration didn’t end there. Mulligan watched as his team presented him with a 100-86 win and provided him with cause for optimism about the prospects for the 1985-86 regular season.

Senior center Tod Murphy scored 33 points and had 7 rebounds to lead the Anteaters to the victory over Club Bosnia, which was making the first of 10 stops in the United States.

That much was no surprise. Murphy was an All-Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. selection last season and is expected to be a key to Irvine’s success this year.

The unexpected came from junior guard Scott Brooks, a transfer from San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton, by way of Texas Christian. Brooks, who transferred to San Joaquin Delta after playing his freshman year at TCU, had 17 points and 7 assists in a performance that had to make Mulligan feel quite comfortable about his supply of capable guards.

“I saw him in the state JC tournament last year and I just loved him,” Mulligan said. “He’d still be at TCU, except he hated the state of Texas. He liked the program. He just hated the state.”

Early indications are that Brooks has found a temporary home at Irvine. Brooks started over University of Texas transfer Mike Hess, who sprained an ankle in practice last week. The injury didn’t prevent Hess from playing, but it did give Brooks an opportunity to introduce himself. He took advantage by hitting all five of his shots from the field and collecting six rebounds and four steals.

Johnny Rogers contributed 18 points and a game-high 13 rebounds for the Anteaters, and Troy Carmon was 7 of 11 from the floor and finished with 18 points.