Simmons Sparks Irvine Past Nevada

Kevin Simmons slipped underneath for a reverse layup. He made a three-point shot from the baseline. He scored on a leaning, seven-foot jump shot and banked in a short jump shot, was fouled and made the free throw.

Eight minutes into Saturday night’s game against Nevada, Simmons and his teammates knew he had finally recovered from flu symptoms that had been dragging down his game for two weeks.

And it was just the lift UC Irvine needed.

The Anteaters ended a two-game losing streak, clung to their percentage-points lead in the Big West Conference over Long Beach State and celebrated Simmons’ return to form with a 74-68 victory over the Wolf Pack in front of 4,087 at the Bren Center.

“He just gets me excited,” said Brian Keefe, who had 26 points to lead the Anteaters in scoring for the sixth consecutive game. “I just feed off Kev’s energy. When he started off like that, it really picked us all up.”

Simmons, who had averaged less than seven points in the past four games, tired and played only 14 minutes in the second half. But he finished with 17 points, 10 rebounds and only one turnover.

“I felt really good before the game and I feel even better now that we’ve won,” he said. “That was the first time I’ve ever been sick like that.”

Simmons’ resurgence seemed to energize the Anteaters (14-9 overall and 10-5 in the conference) in almost every facet of the game. They made 21 of 23 free throws, including 11 of 12 in the final 2 minutes 10 seconds. They contained Nevada center Daniel Watts, limiting him to 15 points and nine rebounds.

The Wolf Pack (16-10, 9-7) trimmed Irvine’s lead to 48-46 midway through the second half, but the Anteaters outscored Nevada, 15-7, over the next 6 1/2 minutes.