UC Irvine Loses Grip on Game

It was a little kick, a tap really, and probably didn’t create so much as a ripple in any drink on the scorer’s table. It echoed, though.

That Anteater Coach Pat Douglass--who makes points verbally, not physically--stood up and took a swing at the table late in the first half showed what direction the evening was headed. UC Irvine was still in the game at that point.

By the time Portland was wrapping up a 68-54 victory in front of 923 in the Chiles Center, Douglass merely looked stunned.

Twenty eight turnovers. And that was by the winning team. UCI had 33, matching the school record set against New Mexico State in 1991. For once, there was no reason to point out that the Anteaters (1-3) were young. They showed their IDs on almost every possession.

“They were turning the ball over every bit as much as we did in the first half,” Douglass said. “We had a chance to capitalize on the opportunity and we didn’t capitalize on it. They woke up in the second half and we remained in the same state.”

A sorry one.

Some of it, to be sure, was caused by the slap-happy Pilots (4-1), who seemed to stick their fingers into everything. Most of problems, though, were self-inflicted.

It caused a bit of soul searching afterward, as the Anteaters held a meeting.

“Coach came in and said he has done everything he can,” center Matt Willard said. “We just talked among ourselves. We worked on things in practice and they just didn’t happen in the game.”

Both teams had more turnovers than field goals and even the referees gaffed one.

Portland’s Eric Sandrin stepped into the lane just before teammate Jimmie Rainwater sank a free throw midway through second half. After a short discussion, officials gave Rainwater the free throw and called a lane violation.

But the Anteaters had too many of their own mistakes to mull over.

A steal and layup by Irvine’s Jerry Green made it 25-23 Portland nine seconds into the second half. The Pilots then went on a 13-0 run, aided by four Irvine turnovers.

The rest was a blur. The Pilots led by as many as 25 in the second half.

Green had 10 points and seven assists. He also had six turnovers. Brian Scoggin had six turnovers and no points. Jason Flowers had five turnovers and no points.

Gabe Cagwin had 12 points for Irvine, the only reserve to score. He also had four turnovers.

“We can put out that old ‘We’re young,’ excuse, but it was just bad ballhandling,” forward Marek Ondera said. “We’re either going to go into a hole or we’re going to go back and practice and improve.”

That latter better come quick. This was more the tofu than the meat of Irvine’s schedule. The Anteaters still have Arizona and BYU ahead.

The Pilots shouldn’t savor the victory too much. The only difference between the two teams is the Anteaters are young.

The Pilots had 13 turnovers in the first half. Irvine led, 14-10, but turned the ball over on its next four possessions.

“We have to remember this,” Ondera said. “Remember it and get learn from it.”