Irvine Stops Its Losing Streak, Beats Bradley

Neither UC Irvine nor Bradley had won a game since Nov. 30 when the two met Saturday, and it took an overtime period to decide which losing streak would end. It turned out that Irvine’s streak was halted at five games after the Anteaters came from behind for a 61-57 overtime victory before 6,730 in Carver Arena.

Irvine (2-5) won despite blowing an eight-point halftime lead after scoring only two points in the first 11 minutes of the second half. Bradley (3-4) lost its fourth consecutive game.

Irvine’s Jeff Von Lutzow, a 6-foot-9 forward, made four three-pointers, including a wild bank shot that went in with 58 seconds left in regulation to help send the game to overtime, 51-51.

Von Lutzow finished with 15 points on five-of-11 shooting, and made four of six from three-point range.

Elgin Rogers, Irvine’s leading scorer who had been held to 11 points in the past two games, led the Anteaters with 19 points and eight rebounds.

Rogers’ free throw with 18 seconds left in overtime--he missed the second of two--gave Irvine a 59-55 lead after Bradley’s James Hamilton fouled out.

Irvine’s Gerald McDonald added 12 points and completed a three-point play that gave Irvine the final lead with 2:29 left in overtime after being fouled on a hanging jump shot.

After a 16-point first half against Loyola of Chicago on Thursday, Irvine took a 31-23 halftime lead against Bradley.

“We knew we needed a game,” Von Lutzow said. “If we had lost this one, it would have gotten tough.”