Irvine and San Jose State Play Position Game

February is here and Nevada Las Vegas is back atop the national basketball polls, which can mean only one thing to the rest of the Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. teams.

It’s time to jockey for position in the conference’s postseason tournament.

UC Irvine and San Jose State will engage in such an exercise tonight when the Anteaters play the Spartans at 7:30 at Civic Auditorium. Both teams are 6-5 in the PCAA, which will leave the winner alone in third place.

Irvine, 11-9 overall, won their first meeting, 89-84. But that was at Irvine with the Spartans at less than full strength. San Jose’s best rebounder, Reggie Owens, hurt his knee while diving for a loose ball in the first half and was lost for the last 28 minutes of the game. He is healthy and back in the lineup for the rematch.

Irvine point guard Joe Buchanan, hospitalized for 13 days with an abdominal infection, will accompany the team on this trip but will not suit up. In his absence, Coach Bill Mulligan will try yet another starting lineup--switching one Doktorczyk for another. Mike Doktorczyk will replace brother Rob at big forward after Rob scored a total of 7 points in the last two games.