Irvine’s Big Chill Continues in a 75-65 Defeat at Pacific

UC Irvine started out with a high-powered offense this season, but all the Anteaters seem to have now is a sputtering one.

Against Pacific on Saturday night, Irvine scored a mere 25 points in the first half, falling behind by 14 on the way to a 75-65 Big West Conference loss to Pacific in front of 2,871 in the Spanos Center.

The loss was the sixth in the past seven games for Irvine (8-15 overall, 3-8 in the Big West).

The Anteaters made only one of their first nine shots and were scoreless for a five-minute stretch in the first half.

Jeff Herdman scored 21 points for Irvine, making eight of 20 shots, including four three-pointers. Ricky Butler added 18. Dylan Rigdon, the Anteaters’ other long-range threat, scored six points, failing to reach double figures for the fourth time in five games.

Dell Demps had 18 for Pacific and freshman Jordan Walsh added 16.

Irvine opened the season by scoring 101 points in a 33-point loss to UCLA, and once had a goal of scoring 95 points a game. But after dropping its press, the offense has faltered. Irvine has reached 95 points twice in the past 12 games.

Pacific (10-10, 6-5) is tied for third with Utah State, trailing top-ranked Nevada Las Vegas and New Mexico State.

“Except for Vegas and New Mexico State, I don’t feel all those other teams are that good, I really don’t,” Irvine Coach Bill Mulligan said. “Here’s Pacific in third place. What am I gonna say about us if they’re not that good?”

Pacific led by 18 points midway through the second half. Irvine chipped away and got as close as seven points with 2:38 left. Pacific made 12 of 14 free throws in the final 1:39 and held on despite not scoring a field goal in the final 6:28.