COLLEGE BASKETBALL / BIG WEST WOMEN’S TOURNAMENT : UCI, Basheer Beat Titans Again to Reach Final

UC Irvine is back in the championship game of the Big West women’s basketball tournament for the first time since 1985, thanks to a 10-foot jump shot by Allah-mi Basheer with two seconds left.

Basheer’s shot rattled around the rim, bounced up and then rolled in, giving the Anteaters a 69-67 victory over Cal State Fullerton in Thursday’s semifinal game in Thomas & Mack Center.

Irvine (18-10) will meet Pacific in the title game at 1 p.m. Saturday, and the Anteaters are brimming with confidence after stopping Fullerton’s strong playoff surge. It was Irvine’s third victory over the Titans this season. Fullerton finished with a 14-15 record.

“I think it’s our time,” said Basheer, who scored 14 points to go with a game-high 12 rebounds.

Jinelle Williams led Irvine with 19 points, and she also is optimistic that her team won’t let a title opportunity pass it by. “It’s taken a long time for us to get here, and I think we’ll make the most of it,” she said.

Basheer said only one thing was running through her mind when he she put up the winning shot. “I just knew we needed to win.”

Irvine slowed Koko Lahanas, the nation’s leading scorer, to 18 points and held Autumn Hollyfield to eight. Guard Shayla Bradshaw also had 18 points for the Titans.

“We stayed with the same game plan we used last week, and that was to double-team Koko and try to not let Autumn get a good look at the basket,” Irvine Coach Colleen Matsuhara said. “We felt like we had to keep them down after the scoring binge they’ve had here.”

Fullerton Coach Deborah Ayres said the difference was Irvine’s 50.8% shooting from the field and 36-28 rebounding advantage. The Titans shot 43.5% but were only nine for 25 (36%) in the second half.

“Our lack of depth hurt,” Ayres said. “Three games in a row, back to back. We had tired legs. But you have to give credit to Irvine for their defense in the second half. We played well in the first half, they but out-shot us in the second half.” The Titans led, 41-37, at halftime, but Irvine came back to lead by six points with 5:20 to play. Fullerton battled back and tied the score at 67 with 1:30 left on a field goal by Lahanas. A series of turnovers hurt Fullerton going down to the wire.