Irvine Again Its Own Worst Enemy

UC Irvine’s Adventures in Defeat Tour made the second stop of a four-show road swing here Saturday night, and the Anteaters came through with another exciting performance and found yet another way to lose.

Irvine had a three-point lead with 51 seconds remaining in regulation, saw that evaporate on Clayton Madden’s three-pointer with 30 seconds left and then saw Lloyd Mumford’s high-arch 12-footer fall short at the buzzer.

UC Santa Barbara made two three-pointers and seven of nine free throws in the extra period to hand Irvine its second consecutive overtime loss, 92-88, in front of 3,772 in the Thunderdome.

“We let another one get away that we should have won,” said Mumford, who finished with 22 points. “I think I was fouled on that last shot (in regulation), but on the road, you know they’re not going to call that.”

This is one game the Anteaters (5-11 and 2-6 in conference) should have won in regulation. They forced 21 Gaucho turnovers. They made 38 of 47 free throws. They basically played a great game physically but left more than a little to be desired from a mental standpoint.

With 12:50 remaining in regulation, Irvine center DeForrest Boyer fouled Phillip Turner while stuffing Turner’s layup attempt. Boyer then got a technical foul for taunting while going face-to-face with Turner. Anteater forward Jermaine Avie joined in the fray and also got a technical.

Turner made five of the six free throws.

“I hope this sounds right,” Irvine Coach Rod Baker said, “but I swear it’s true. The mistakes Santa Barbara made were because they were not physically capable, not athletically skilled enough. The mistakes we made were because we had intelligence breakdowns. Those are the kinds of things we can’t afford.

“I told all three of the officials that they made the right call on those technicals, but I did point out that there was someone in Dee’s face and someone in Jermaine’s face, too.”

Turner’s five-point play put the Gauchos (8-11, 4-5) ahead, 63-58, but Mumford took charge just as he did in the second half of Irvine’s overtime loss to Long Beach State Thursday night. He made three of four free throws after being fouled on drives in the final 1 1/2 minutes, but his off-balance 12-footer wasn’t close at the end of regulation.

“I don’t know if he got fouled or not,” Baker said, “but the axiom there is that it’s not going to be called at that point in the game.”

Santa Barbara’s Wayne Butts drilled a three-pointer in the opening seconds of overtime, and when Madden, who had a career-high 27, swished home another three-point shot with 2:18 left in overtime, the Gauchos were up by six (85- 79). Madden’s 27 points was the most by any Santa Barbara player this season.

Millard Baker made two free throws with 27 seconds left, and the Gauchos had a 90-82 advantage and the victory nailed down.

Irvine shot 29% from the floor in the second half but made 81% of its free throws. Santa Barbara’s front line starters--Rob Ramaker, Doug Muse and Butts--were a combined 13 of 21 from the floor, helping the Gauchos shoot 53% on the night.

“That was a great college basketball game, except for the last couple of minutes,” Baker said. “I don’t think you could ask much more than that.”

The Anteaters, who have dropped four in a row, can only ask for a victory. Or maybe even a defeat they can’t pin on their own shortcomings.

Anteater Notes

Forward Shaun Battle, who did not make the trip to Long Beach State, again was not included in the Anteaters’ traveling party Saturday. Coach Rod Baker says he “has no problem with Battle,” and that “there are other guys who have been playing better in practice.” But an Irvine player says Battle, who played tight end and defensive end at San Bernardino Cajon High, is thinking about transferring and playing football somewhere.