Keefe Leads Irvine Over Santa Barbara

Guard Brian Keefe’s biggest contribution in the last two weeks was talking UC Irvine Coach Rod Baker into letting the team wear the special gold uniforms that helped inspire the victory over Nevada Las Vegas that propelled the Anteaters into a tie for first place in the Big West Conference.

Irvine went on the road and won two more games to take sole possession of first, but a slumping Keefe, who had averaged 16 points in Irvine’s first eight games this season, totaled only 17 in the two games.

The sophomore captain rebounded Thursday night, keying a 74-62 victory over UC Santa Barbara with a career-high 29 points in front of 3,446 in the Bren Center. The Anteaters (10-6 overall and 7-2 in the Big West) won their fifth game in a row for the first time since 1984.

Santa Barbara (9-9, 6-4) came into Irvine in second place and with the confidence of knowing they had defeated the Anteaters, 84-66, in their first meeting.

But Keefe and the Anteaters gave early notice that things might be different. Keefe, who had missed 28 of his last 38 three-point attempts, dropped in a three-pointer 30 seconds into the game, added a fall-away five-footer and a double-pump reverse layup in the next 4 1/2 minutes and Irvine was ahead, 11-2.

The Anteaters, who led by as many as 17, never trailed.