UC Irvine Struggles to 112-101 Victory

UC Irvine got a win Tuesday night, but this victory probably didn’t do much to improve the Anteaters’ prospects for the rest of the season.

However, the Anteaters’ 112-101 victory over Eastern Washington in front of 1,219 at Irvine’s Bren Center did turn up a number of positives:

--For the first time this season, the Anteaters (2-4) got off to a quick start, hitting 6 of their first 7 shots.

--They shot a season-high 61% from the floor, made 9 of 12 3-pointers and 23 of 28 free throws.

--Six Irvine players scored in double figures, including freshman center Elgin Rogers, who made his first start and celebrated his 19th birthday with 17 points, hitting 6 of 7 shots from the field.

--Guards Kevin Floyd and Rod Palmer combined for 54 points. Floyd, who finished with a career-high 28 points, made 12 of 15 field-goal attempts. Palmer, who scored 26, was 11 of 21 from the floor, including 4 for 6 from 3-point range.

Now the bad news:

--With 3:50 left in the game, Irvine held a precarious 97-94 advantage.

“We’re not going to have any more easy games,” Irvine Coach Bill Mulligan said afterward. “Hell, this one wasn’t easy . . . “

Mulligan has decided to stick with a full-tilt running game and a full-court press. At least the Anteaters made half of his game plan work on this night.

But how effective was the press? Just ask Eastern Washington forward David Peed, who looked like Jerry Rice, catching long passes and blowing through the press for 42 points.

In the second half, the Eagles (2-5) scored on 14 layups, 5 3-pointers and a 15-foot jump shot (remember the jump shot, Irvine fans?).

But Bob Hofman, the Eastern Washington coach, is one guy who thinks there’s some method to Mulligan’s apparent madness.

“You have to give up something to get something,” Hofman said. “They gave up a lot of layups, but, in the end, they got us to wilt a little, and that was the difference.”