Irvine Opens PCAA Play Against Santa Barbara

UC Santa Barbara, the last visiting team to win at UC Irvine’s Bren Center, carries an 8-1 nonconference record and a three-guard offense into a Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. opener tonight against Irvine.

Santa Barbara, which beat North Carolina State Dec. 23, is led by guards Carrick DeHart, Brian Shaw and Brian Johnson. DeHart, the PCAA freshman of the year last season, leads the Gauchos with a 16.6-point average. Shaw, a senior, is averaging 13.4 points and 11.3 rebounds and Johnson is scoring 9.3 per game.

The Anteaters (5-4) are 11-2 in the Bren Center and have won six straight at home since losing to Santa Barbara, 92-85, last season. Irvine Coach Bill Mulligan will open with his eighth different starting lineup. Junior Kevin Floyd will make his first start at point guard and 6-foot 7-inch junior Steve Florentine, who has played only 59 minutes in seven games this season, will make his debut as a starter at small forward.

Florentine, who is averaging 2.9 points and 2.1 rebounds, moved up from 10th player to the starting five during Irvine’s two-week break between the end of the nonconference schedule and tonight’s game.

The Anteaters, who have shot 50% or better in their last three games, are scoring an average of 93 points a game and allowing an average of 95.