The Colleges : Irvine Has a Score to Settle With Long Beach

The last time UC Irvine and Cal State Long Beach had a heated rivalry was 1980, when Francois Wise said the stalling Anteaters belonged in a “junior high league” after a 30-26 49er victory at Irvine.

Anteater-49er games produced few ill feelings until this season, when Long Beach’s first-year coach, Joe Harrington, raised the 49ers’ level of play . . . and the ire of Irvine Coach Bill Mulligan.

Long Beach (17-10 overall, 11-7 in the Pacific Coast Athletic Assn.) and Irvine (14-13, 9-9)--which both fared better than preseason expectations--will meet today at 2 p.m. in the PCAA tournament quarterfinals.

“There’s nothing wrong with winning, but you don’t have to be a . . . to win,” Mulligan said. “Look how much Tark (Nevada Las Vegas Coach Jerry Tarkanian) wins, and you’d have a hard time finding a coach who doesn’t like Tark.”

Mulligan says Harrington complains about game officiating too much and says he’s not the only PCAA coach who is fed up with it. But it goes a little deeper with the Irvine coach.

“He cries after every call,” Mulligan said.

Mulligan was upset after Harrington screamed at officials to count Rudy Harvey’s layup at the buzzer in the 49ers’ 100-80 victory at Irvine Jan. 28. “A 98-80 win wasn’t good enough for him,” Mulligan said.

Then, during Long Beach’s 98-90 victory Feb. 28 in Long Beach, Harrington swore at Irvine freshman Jeff Herdman. “You don’t yell at other teams’ players,” Mulligan said. “Some of his antics are ridiculous.”

There’s been nothing ridiculous about the way Harrington has his team playing, though. The 49ers’ pressure defense has wreaked havoc on the Anteaters--and a lot of other teams this season, including Las Vegas, which lost at home to Long Beach.

“The 49ers are the cockiest team in the league,” said Wayne Engelstad, Irvine’s top scorer. “They’re playing really well, but I think you should let your play do your talking.

“We want to beat them more than Coach does. He wasn’t out there when they were talking all that trash in the last game.”

Harrington has avoided a mud-slinging contest, although he did refer to Mulligan as “a cagey old feller who probably has some tricks up his sleeve.”

“It’s tough to beat any team a third time,” he said. “But we have to be concerned with playing our game, keeping on the pressure and executing.”

The 49ers, who have remained relatively healthy all year, have had a streak of bad luck recently. Andre Purry fell down some stairs on campus, injuring his groin, and has missed three days of practice. Jeff Eastin fell on his neck during practice and was temporarily hospitalized. Both should be available today.