San Francisco Spoils UC Irvine’s Opener

It took nearly the entire game, but the UC Irvine basketball team accomplished what it seemed bent on doing all Saturday night.

The Anteaters lost their season-opener to the University of San Francisco, 79-71, before 1,622 at Memorial Gymnasium. UC Irvine committed 21 turnovers, shot just 52% from the free-throw line and 47% from the field. And yet, almost in spite of themselves, the Anteaters led, 59-48, with 8:50 left in the game.

Then USF Coach Jim Brovelli used defensive pressure to force four consecutive UC Irvine turnovers. In a little more than three minutes, USF had tied the score, 59-59, on center Scott MacDonald’s layup.

UC Irvine did not score for more than five minutes, and when it did--on Rob Doktorczyk’s tip-in with 3:08 left--the Anteaters trailed 63-61.

USF came right back with two consecutive baskets to stretch the lead to 67-61 with 2:15 left, and UC Irvine never got closer than four points from that point.

“We were really hurt by their full-court press,” said Bill Mulligan, UC Irvine coach. “We couldn’t handle their trap. We tried three different things against it. It probably didn’t look like it, but we did try some things against it. We just completely lost our poise.”

USF took a 30-17 lead with a little more than seven minutes to play in the first half on the strength of three consecutive three-point shots, two by reserve forward James Bell.

UC Irvine’s offense, which had done a good job of getting the ball inside in the first 10 minutes--five of the Anteaters’ first six field goals came on layups and drives--could not penetrate USF’s zone defense and was many times reduced to perimeter passing and a poor shot.

With UC Irvine in such disarray, it appeared the game there was for San Francisco’s taking.

But just as quickly, the Dons faltered. They scored just six points in the last 4:30 of the first half. USF led, 39-35, at the half.

Irvine outscored the Dons, 24-9, in the first 11 minutes of the second half to take its 59-48 lead. But after that things fell apart.

UC Irvine was led by center Ricky Butler’s 21 points, forward Jeff Herdman’s 21 and guard Rod Palmer’s 16. USF’s MacDonald, a junior college transfer, led all scorers with 25. Forward Joel DeBortoli added 16.