Irvine Has Chance to Win, but Loses 13th in a Row

A victory for UC Irvine was dangling, closer than at any time in recent weeks, against the University of the Pacific Saturday night.

The Anteaters still lost, though, 76-75, before 1,823 at the Bren Center.

Irvine, which had lost 12 consecutive games but was playing as well as it had all season, trailed Pacific by one point with five seconds left. The Anteaters inbounded the ball at midcourt.

Dylan Rigdon, who had made six of 10 shots from the field, including five of eight three-pointers, took the pass and dribbled toward the basket. Rigdon, a freshman guard, pulled up 10 feet away and launched an awkward-looking jump shot with the Tigers’ Dell Demps hounding him with three seconds left.

The ball clanged off the back of the rim and into the hands of Jeff Von Lutzow, whose hurried follow hit the side of the backboard.

And Irvine (2-18 overall, 0-11 in Big West Conference play) had lost its 13th consecutive game.

“I think I should have taken it to the hole instead of pulling up,” Rigdon said.

“I’m sure I’ll be thinking about this for days, weeks, months.”

Rigdon had a career-high 22 points as Irvine seemed primed for its first victory since a 75-62 win over San Diego State on Dec. 16.

The Anteaters built a 14-point lead after a dunk by Von Lutzow with 5:10 left in the first half.

But Pacific (12-8, 5-6) chipped away at the lead, trailing just 35-33 at halftime.

The lead changed hands in the second half with Pacific taking control for good, 68-67, on Demps’ three-pointer with 3:36 left.

Later, Irvine cut the lead to 76-75 on a three-pointer by Rigdon with 11 seconds left.

Demps had 26 points on 11-of-14 shooting for Pacific.