UC Irvine Lends a Hand to Hobbled Loyola of Chicago, Losing, 99-94

UC Irvine staggered into the Midwest this weekend and happened upon a basketball team in a greater state of disarray than itself. But it seems no amount of good fortune--or other people’s misfortune--can right the hapless Anteaters’ badly listing ship at this point.

Loyola of Chicago was hoping to have three potential starters--including sophomore center Kenny Miller, who would have been the top returning rebounder in the nation--in uniform Sunday, but none were available after first-quarter academic difficulties.

Then the Runnin’ Ramblers were struck with injuries. Gerald Hayward, the nation’s top returning scorer, suffered back spasms and could not play. Guard Keith Carter sprained his ankle and forward Chris Funchess hurt his back.

Carter and Funchess were among the nine Loyola players suited up Sunday (two others were walk-ons) and both played key roles as the Ramblers ran past Irvine, 99-94, in front of 1,218 in the International Amphitheatre.

The facility, a dilapidated structure recently purchased for a mere $200,000 in back taxes--you can hardly find a condo in Irvine for that price--was the scene of the infamous 1968 Democratic Convention. Sunday, it was nothing but bad vibes for Irvine, too.

Carter scored on two acrobatic, driving bank shots and made three free throws in the final 67 seconds to lift Loyola (3-3) from a 1-point deficit (93-92) to the victory.

Antowne Johnson, a 6-foot 6-inch jumping-jack forward, led the Ramblers with 28 points and 13 rebounds. Forward Keith Gailes, who didn’t play most of the second half because of foul trouble, scored 21 and grabbed 8 rebounds before fouling out. Carter finished with 19 points and 7 assists, and Funchess had 18 points and 8 rebounds.

So who needs a top scorer or a top rebounder?

“I can’t believe we lost to that team,” Irvine’s Mike Doktorczyk said.

Loyola Coach Gene Sullivan was a little surprised, too.

“To win without those players, well, I just couldn’t be prouder of these guys,” he said. “We used just six players and managed to beat a team that runs this kind of tempo. This is a bigger win than it looks.”

It’s beginning to look as if any victory over Irvine (2-6) can’t be categorized as anything other than “expected” these days. The Anteaters certainly haven’t experienced any big victories.

Irvine Coach Bill Mulligan could find just one positive after this loss: “I’ve attained a status in life where I need some humility. I’ve been too arrogant for too long.”

“You have to give all the credit to Loyola,” Mulligan said. “They played hard and under control. Our whole team was terrible. Our best shooters missed the key shots and theirs made them.”

Carter was the man in control down the stretch. Sullivan called a timeout with 1:19 remaining in the game and set up a play for Johnson. But “they overplayed Carter so Keith took the initiative,” said Sullivan.

Carter drove baseline, threw in a looping bank shot and was fouled by Elgin Rogers. He made the free throw to give Loyola a 95-93 lead.

Irvine’s Kevin Floyd then missed a coast-to-coast, flying layup, and Carter made a fallaway, 12-foot jumper with 18 seconds remaining to seal the victory.

“This is about as thin as it gets,” Carter said of the Ramblers’ nine-player roster, “but the six or seven guys playing are well-conditioned. We’ve been playing all year as if those other guys wouldn’t be back, so that has helped.

“We developed an us-against-the-world attitude.”

Irvine is light years away from being a world-class basketball team, but the Anteaters, who trailed by 8 at halftime (50-42), outscored the Ramblers, 22-11, in the first 6 minutes of the second half to go ahead, 64-61. And they led by as many as 5 points (87-82) after guard Rod Palmer sank back-to-back 3-pointers with 5:29 remaining.

But Carter took over in crunch time and a stunned Irvine team came up empty again.

Palmer finished with a career-high 27 points and forward Mike Labat scored a career-high 21. Floyd scored 17 and Doktorczyk had 14 points and 9 rebounds. But, by the looks of the Irvine locker room, all those numbers added up to nothing but despair.

“I’m sick of giving away wins,” said Floyd, his eyes boring a hole in the carpet. “They’re too damn hard to get to be giving them away.”