Irvine Gets Buffaloed in Double Overtime : College basketball: Anteaters force both extra periods, but come up short against Colorado, 73-70.

UC Irvine’s fist-pumping attempt to open the season 2-0 after winning only 16 games over the past two seasons ended in a hard-fought, 73-70, double-overtime loss to Colorado Monday in front of 2,206 at the Bren Center.

Bolstered by the play of freshman Elzie Love and senior Don May, Irvine forced both extra periods and led by as many three in the second overtime, but finally fell when Colorado blocked Jeff Von Lutzow’s three-point attempt in the final seconds.

Irvine, playing only its second game under its new coach, Rod Baker, botched a chance to win the game in the final minute. The Anteaters had the ball and trailed by one with 44 seconds left. Gerald McDonald broke free on a baseline drive for an open three-footer, but decided against using the backboard and lofted it over the goal. Irvine’s Von Lutzow rebounded, but his two-footer missed as well, and Colorado rebounded.

Colorado’s James Hunter hit two free throws with 12.9 seconds left to give the Buffaloes their final 73-70 margin.

“Irvine, obviously, with a new coach was really impressive. They’ve got a lot of spirit and defensive intensity,” said Colorado Coach Joe Harrington, the former Cal State Long Beach coach. “They wouldn’t quit. I didn’t think we looked very good, but a lot of that had to do with Irvine. This is a great road win for us.”

Colorado (2-1) gave Harrington has 200th career victory.

“On the second of December those guys were three points better than us in double overtime,” Baker said. “This would have been a big-time win, but now it’s just a small-time loss.”

Irvine forced the first overtime after Love, a freshman forward, took a pass on the baseline, spun into the lane and banked in a shot to tie the score at 53-53 with 19 seconds left.

Colorado pushed the ball upcourt and got off four shot attempts, as a desperate tipping battle for the rebound followed Billy Law’s miss, but time expired on the Buffaloes.

The overtime periods took their toll, as both Colorado starting guards--Law and Donnie Boyce--eventually fouled out. Irvine starters May and Craig Marshall fouled out as well.

Irvine trailed by two as the clock neared 10 seconds remaining in the first overtime. McDonald drove the baseline, hung in the air and drew a foul by Anthony Pulliam. After a Colorado timeout, McDonald hit both free throws to tie the score at 61-61 with 8.9 seconds remaining.

Pulliam’s 22-footer as time expired was no good, forcing the second overtime.

Irvine took a 66-63 lead in the second overtime when May completed a three-point play off an offensive rebound. May, a senior center who once inspired a fraternity top-10 list (“Why Don May Should Never Play Basketball Again”), had a career-high 13 points. He made all five field goal attempts and scored six points in overtime. He also had 10 rebounds, seven on the offensive boards.

“Don May has got a heart the size of this building,” Baker said. “He doesn’t understand that physically, he’s not supposed to be in this game.”

Colorado recovered to take a 71-66 lead with the help of Pulliam’s three-pointer and James Hunter’s three-point play. But the Irvine freshman, Love, grabbed an offensive rebound with 1:08 left and turned it into a three-point play to cut the lead to 71-70.

Love, who was recruited under former coach Bill Mulligan, scored nine points and had three offensive rebounds in 20 minutes.

Down by one in the final minute of the second overtime, McDonald, who led Irvine with 18 points, made a steal to set up the Anteaters’ chance at victory. But his shot--and Von Lutzow’s follow--missed the mark.

“If you can find me a team in the country that plays harder than mine, then fine,” Baker said. “That’s not knocking anyone else. They just don’t know any other way.”

Baker’s team put itself in position to win the game, but in the end didn’t, failing to take advantage of a number of opportunities.

The Anteaters had a one-point lead and the ball with less than three minutes remaining in regulation, but lost the ball on a five-second call shortly after going into a semi-delay game.

McDonald forced a crucial turnover in the final two minutes, but lost the ball on Elgin Rogers’ errant inbounds pass. Rogers finished with 15 points.

And with one minute left in regulation and the score tied, Irvine passed up a timeout and McDonald tried a questionable shot without setting up a play.

This could-have is behind them now.

“I’m understanding about what happened tonight,” Baker said. “I’m not going to be understanding in January, though.”

Irvine Notes

Colorado has dedicated its season to the memory of Jeff Kallal, a graduate assistant under Joe Harrington at Cal State Long Beach and Colorado. Kallal died of cancer in September at the age of 25. . . . Khari Johnson started for the second consecutive game, replacing Jeff Von Lutzow, who has been ill. . . . Next: Friday vs. Houston at 9 p.m. in the second game of the Freedom Bowl doubleheader in the Bren Center.