Opportunity Knocks, UCI Can’t Answer in Home Loss
Proving that in the Big West Conference any team can lose to any other on a given night, UC Irvine had opportunity in hand, only to see it taken away like so many rebounds Saturday night.
While UC Santa Barbara methodically controlled every aspect--and dominated a few--in a 74-66 victory in front of 2,180 in the Bren Center, the Anteaters were left a bit overwhelmed as their five-game home winning streak was ended.
The Gauchos were hyperactive, denying everything on defense and go all-out for every rebound. They finished with a 49-24 rebound edge. The Anteaters, meanwhile, were limited, getting few second chances on offense.
Not until it was too late did Irvine (7-11, 4-4 in conference play) make a face-saving rush. After trailing by as many as 19, they went on a 19-6 run to cut the Santa Barbara lead to seven, 68-61, with 1:10 left. It was too much to overcome. Raymond Tutt (20 points) made eight of 10 free throws down the stretch and the Gauchos (7-11, 4-4) had their second consecutive road victory.
“That was a tough loss for us to take at home,” Coach Pat Douglass said. “What’s disappointing is we felt pretty comfortable coming into the game.”
There is no room for cozy feelings around the Western Division. Pacific, which has a two-game lead, seems to be the only lock for the conference tournament.
Santa Barbara was supposed to be a shoo-in as well, as the Gauchos were picked second in the division before the season began. But that was before a player mutiny in December and two road defeats to open conference play.
“Everyone in this division is going to kind of chase Pacific around,” Santa Barbara Coach Jerry Pimm said. “Us, Irvine, Fullerton and Long Beach; one of us is not going to make the conference tournament.”
Which makes losing games at home to a team in that small clique very annoying.
“We were off,” Irvine guard Junior Bond said. “‘We were beyond off. There isn’t a word for it.”
Said guard Lamar Parker: “We can’t be giving games away at home. That is unacceptable.”
But unavoidable considering the Gauchos undisturbed positioning under the basket.
Santa Barbara had a 21-9 edge in offensive rebounds. It was particularly important in the first half, when the Gauchos were struggling offensively.
They had a 14-7 edge in offensive rebounds and scored 12 points off them.
“We knew we would have an advantage on the boards, if we just went and got the rebounds,” Pimm said.
The Anteaters had only two turnovers in the first half and seemed ready to distance themselves from the Gauchos, leading, 25-19, with 3:25 left. They went into halftime tied, 27-27.
“If we could have gone in with a lead, they would have quit,” Bond said. “Every three shots they took and missed, they got two of the rebounds. That’s ridiculous.”
Santa Barbara needed few second chances in the second half, shooting 64% from the field. Tutt, one of the conference’s best offensive players, had little to do with it.
Santa Barbara needed a Tutt spree to beat Cal State Fullerton Thursday, as he scored 16 points in the final 10 minutes. By the 10-minute mark Saturday, the Gauchos had things well in hand.
Center B.J. Bunton and forward Dwayne Williams each made four of five shots in the second half. Brandon Payton (15 points) was three of five from the field in the half.
They sparked a 20-6 run that gave the Gauchos a 51-37 lead. It was, 62-43, with four minutes left before Irvine made its run. Parker (19 points) scored nine points in little more than a minute. He had a chance to pull the Anteaters to within four with 57 seconds left, but his off-balance three-pointer over two defenders barely hit the rim.
“It seemed like every shot they took was from 15 feet and went in,” Douglass said. “The guys who usually make shots for us, didn’t make them tonight.”
Ben Jones, the Anteaters’ leading scorer, was four of 14 from the field, and missed on five three-pointers. Adam Stetson, their second-leading scorer, was four of 12 from the field and two of seven from behind the three-point arc.
