UCI Endures Another Unhappy Ending

UC Irvine’s 81-71 loss to Pepperdine Tuesday was another adventure in frustration.

In addition, Irvine Coach Bill Mulligan promised a long night of film-watching for the Anteaters. Call it Late Night with UC Irvine.

After a lackluster practice Monday, Mulligan issued an ultimatum: shape up or watch game films until 3 a.m.

Well, the Anteaters left Pepperdine’s Firestone Fieldhouse Tuesday night headed straight for the film room at Crawford Hall at Irvine.

It was hard to tell from the Anteaters which was worse, playing through their sixth loss in eight games or having to go watch it all over again.

“I guess we’ll find out (what went wrong) when we watch the films until 3 a.m.,” Jeff Herdman said. “Probably, if we had played hard and still lost we wouldn’t have to go watch films.”

The Anteaters didn’t play hard--or very well, for that matter.

“What I used to do when I was at Long Beach Poly (High from 1958-64) was make them practice after a game if they won and didn’t play hard,” Mulligan said. “I’ve never had a team that’s played this soft and had all the answers. I couldn’t care less (about staying up all night). There’s no school. It’s good for them.”

Irvine played well in short spurts, especially in the second half, but the Anteaters lost for the fourth time in as many road games this season. Irvine stayed close to Pepperdine, despite its usual poor shooting and bad ballhandling.

The Anteaters trailed, 35-28, at halftime although they shot 11 of 30 (36.7%) from the field. They also had eight turnovers. And Pepperdine didn’t try to press the Anteaters, who started their fourth game in a row without point guard Rod Palmer, who has been sidelined with a sprained knee.

Even a late appearance by Palmer, who was cleared to practice and play if he felt OK, couldn’t save the Anteaters. Palmer played the final nine minutes and had two points and two assists.

Twice, Irvine rallied in the second half only to see Pepperdine pull away. The second was the most frustrating.

Irvine closed a 10-point gap to 66-61 on two free throws by Ricky Butler with 2:44 left. But it all came unraveled quickly.

After Herdman missed a short shot, Jeff Von Lutzow fouled Pepperdine center Geoff Lear.

Herdman then got a technical foul protesting the call.

“I said, ‘We’ve been getting it all game. . . . ‘ “ Herdman said.

Lear, who had a game-high 25 points, made both free throws, then Shann Ferch made two free throws for the technical, and the Waves led, 70-61.

Earlier, Irvine went on a 9-0 run to tie the score, 46-46, with 12:10 left.

But Lear scored, was fouled and made the free throw. After Irvine’s Dylan Rigdon made a free throw, Ferch made two free throws. Dexter Howard made two more, reserve guard Rick Welch hit a three-pointer and suddenly Pepperdine’s lead was 56-47.

“I’ve taken credit for some of these losses, but I’m not taking it for this one,” Mulligan said. “We have no senior leadership and no junior leadership.”

Von Lutzow, a freshman, had his best game at Irvine, scoring 14 points. Herdman and Butler, both juniors, also had 14.

Ferch had 17, Howard 12 and Doug Christie 11 for the Waves (3-3).

Irvine began the game in frustrating fashion.

On the Anteaters’ first possession, Butler slipped around the defense for an easy layup, missed, then went over the back for a foul.

On the next trip down the floor, Rob Doktorczyk missed a layup and was charged with a foul.

Two plays, two missed layups, two fouls. It set the stage for another long night for the Anteaters.

Anteater Notes

No one was more encouraged by Rod Palmer’s return than Rod Palmer. “I felt pretty good,” said Palmer, who had been averaging 13 points when he injured his knee against Tennessee Chattanooga Dec. 2. “Hopefully, I get a little more playing time. It was a little stiff, but it felt good to be out there. I wish I could have got in a little earlier.” . . . Former Mater Dei star Tom Lewis, nursing a dislocated finger, had just six points on two of nine shooting. “Lewis’ finger is really bothering him,” Pepperdine Coach Tom Asbury said. “His shot is way off.”