New Mexico State Holds Off UC Irvine

A year ago, the message on the T-shirts UC Irvine’s players wore before they pulled a Big West Conference tournament upset against UC Santa Barbara was simple: “We think we can.”

This year, it took a little more ink.

“We did it before. We will do it again,” read the T-shirts that Irvine Coach Rod Baker had made up for his 6-20 Anteaters before their game against top-seeded New Mexico State.

They might have thought they could, but they couldn’t. Irvine, seeded last, was as close as three points in the final four minutes and trailed by only four with 2:03 to play before falling, 87-76, during the first round of the Big West tournament before 2,500 at Long Beach Arena.

Irvine had 32 turnovers, a tournament record and only one short of the school record set against the Aggies on Jan. 21, 1991.

“We turned the ball over 30-something times and with three minutes left it’s a four-point ballgame and we have the ball, so you tell me,” Baker said. “You turn the ball over 32 times, that’s 32 times you lose the ball without shooting. Let’s say we turn it over half that many times, that makes a difference.”

The Aggies (24-6) were led by reserve guard Corey Rogers’ 19 points. Rogers made five of seven three-point shots. Tracey Ware added 17 points and point guard Sam Crawford had 16 points--and seven of his team’s 22 steals.

The Aggies were without forward Eric Traylor, who sat out the game because a question arose about his academic eligibility. Coach Neil McCarthy was uncertain Friday if Traylor would be with the team for its semifinal tonight against UC Santa Barbara.

Irvine had an opportunity to cut the Aggies’ lead to one with about three minutes to play, but LaDay Smith was called for charging. Ware’s three-point play made the lead six, but Smith scored and Aggie guard Marc Thompson then committed a backcourt violation.

But on the other end, Ware blocked Lloyd Mumford’s six-foot shot with about 1 1/2 minutes left. The Aggies scored the next five points on free throws.

Irvine was led by Mumford, who had 18 points, seven rebounds and four assists but committed 10 turnovers. Jeff Von Lutzow added 16 points.

UC Santa Barbara 57, Pacific 54--Duane Carter scored from inside with 4.8 seconds to play to put Santa Barbara ahead, 55-54, and Paul Johnson’s two free throws with three seconds to play provided the final margin for the sixth-seeded Gauchos (18-9). Until Carter’s basket, Santa Barbara, which defeated third-seeded Pacific (16-11) for the third time this season, had led only once during the second half.