Defense Is Irvine’s Undoing : New Mexico State Has It, UCI Doesn’t and Loses, 75-59

Sometimes, you have to go home to find the range.

New Mexico State, which does not have a player shooting 50% or better from the floor, discovered its shooting touch in the Pan American Center Thursday night and rolled to a 75-59 Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. victory over UC Irvine.

The Aggies (15-13 overall, 7-8 in the PCAA) shot 37% from the field and 50% from the free throw line in a 79-62 loss at Irvine Jan. 30, but they connected on 54% of their field goal attempts and 88% (23 of 26) of their free throws this time. Irvine (14-11, 9-7) shot 51% from the floor but made 2 of 4 free throws.

Seldom have two games between the same teams been more different. Irvine center Wayne Engelstad, who ripped through New Mexico State’s matchup zone defense for 40 points in the first game, was completely stymied Thursday. He finished with eight points, failing to score in double figures for the first time in 28 games.

The last time he had fewer than 10 was Feb. 10, 1987, when he scored five in this facility against the Aggies.

“I’d love to say something clever, but I can’t think of a single thing,” Irvine Coach Bill Mulligan said. “This is the fourth straight matchup zone we’ve faced and all of sudden we act like it’s something we’ve never seen before. We were confused. Our players looked like they were groggy or something.

“You have to give New Mexico State credit, though. They defended extremely well. Still, it was a pathetic performance on our part. We just have to suck it up and go on.”

The Aggies’ team shooting percentage got a boost from the Anteaters’ defense . . . or, more appropriately, lack of defense.

In Irvine, the Anteaters’ pressure man-to-man defense forced nine first-half turnovers and New Mexico State trailed at halftime, 40-19. Thursday night, Irvine did little more than chase the Aggies to the basket and watch them score layups.

“We felt we could get the ball inside against their defense and this time we accomplished it,” Aggie Coach Neil McCarthy said. “There was quite a disparity in free throws, but we got the ball inside a lot and they didn’t get too many inside shots.”

In the first game, New Mexico State made 10 of 20 free throws and Irvine made 22 of 24 with Engelstad hitting 11 of 12. But this time, Irvine’s four post players--Engelstad, Frank Woods, Mike Doktorczyk and Ed Johansen--attempted a total of just 17 shots.

“At their place, Engelstad kept flashing up to the high post and hitting those 10- and 12-footers,” Aggie guard Jeff Williams said. “Tonight, we kept one big guy and one guard near him all the time.

“In the second half, he told me, ‘Tell your coach to go to the man-to-man.’ I told him no way. We played a little man down there and I think he scored about half his points against it in just a few minutes.”

McCarthy said his main concern was maintaining defensive intensity, and he rotated players in and out of the lineup all night. Most of the time, there were as many players sitting in front of the scoring table waiting to go in as on the New Mexico State bench.

Seven Aggies played 21 minutes or more and nine played 12 or more. Only center Johnny Roberson (31 minutes) saw 30 or more minutes of action.

“That’s the best defense we’ve played in a month,” McCarthy said.

Guards Kevin Floyd (15 points) and Mike Hess (12) were the only Anteaters in double figures. They made 5 of Irvine’s 7 three-pointers or it would have been a big-time rout. As it was, the Anteaters never got closer than eight after trailing by 10 (37-27) at halftime.

It wasn’t the Aggies’ inside players who were scoring all those layups, though. Guards Virgil Harris and Keith Hill both penetrated often for close-in shots.

Harris, who led all scorers with 17 points, hurt the Anteaters from long and short range. He hit 6 of 9 from the field, including 3 of 4 three-pointers. Hill, a reserve, did most of his damage at the line after being fouled on drives to the basket. He was 3 of 3 from the floor and made 8 of 10 free throws.