Anteaters Fall Short Again, Lose to Nevada

A chance at victory dangled within UC Irvine’s reach. Once again, it was yanked away, like opportunity on a string.

This has worn a bit thin on the Anteaters lately.

The 69-67 loss to Nevada Thursday in front of 1,202 in the Bren Center was Irvine’s eighth consecutive loss, five of which have been by five or fewer points--all in Big West Conference play.

Irvine had chances to tie the score twice in the final minute. Forward Marek Ondera badly missed a scoop shot with 43 seconds left. Moments later, guard Jerry Green’s second free throw rattled on the rim and came off. It left the Wolf Pack (6-13, 2-7) with a 65-64 lead.

They made five of six free throws in the final 21 seconds--and 25 of 37 in the game--to win their second consecutive game, and their first since Coach Pat Foster announced his resignation on Monday.

Yet it was Anteater Coach Pat Douglass who was dejected after his team let another game slip away. This wasn’t, after all, the cream of the crop in the Big West, more like the sour milk. The only conference victory for both teams was against 1-18 North Texas.

“It does test you,” Douglass said. “Nevada didn’t play the same caliber of basketball as the teams we lost to in other close games.

“I’ve seen improvement, but I didn’t see any tonight. Maybe all these close games are catching up with us.”

Irvine never seemed to be in sync, although it never trailed by more than six. The Anteaters shot 40% even though they made seven of 14 three-pointers.

“I think I can speak for everyone, this is the hardest season you could possibly go through,” Ondera said. “You think about it constantly. Life is grand when you’re winning, that’s the honest truth. It’s the opposite when you lose.”

Irvine (5-14, 1-8) hasn’t felt grand since Jan. 7, when it beat North Texas. The Anteaters blew an 11-point second half lead against Pacific, then lost by one to Long Beach State and by two to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. All in the last two weeks.

“It’s sickening,” Ondera said.

Thursday was another bicarbonate moment.

Nevada got 21 points from guard John Burrell, who scored 12 consecutive points at one point in the first half. Lamont Bonner scored 16 points, going five for five from the field for the second consecutive game.

But Green led a late charge. He scored on back-to-back layups--one a coast-to-coast drive where he spun around three Nevada defenders--to pull Irvine to within 65-63.

On the Anteaters’ next possession, Ondera tried to scoop a shot under 6-foot-9 Joao Santos, but the ball barely reached Santos’ eye level. After an airball by Nevada’s Tony Zapata, Green was fouled. His second free throw bounced on the rim three times, then came off.

“I like being in those situations with the game on the line,” Green said. “Everybody misses shots. [Michael] Jordan missed shots, but he made a lot when the game was on the line.”

It was another painful moment for Green. He missed a three-pointer with the score tied against San Luis Obispo. He had the ball knocked out of his hands in the final seconds against Long Beach State.

Then again, the Anteaters would not have been in any of those games, including Thursday, without him. He scored 17 points, 12 in the second half.

“It’s very taxing on him because he’s a freshman,” Douglass said. “He’s been a dominant player. It’s rough and I feel for him, but this is going to make him a better player down the road.”