Irvine Not Quite Up to the Task

Boise State has a reputation for making it difficult for visiting teams in the Pavilion.

The Broncos won their 23rd game in the last 25 at home Thursday night by turning back UC Irvine, 73-61, but the Anteaters didn’t go away quietly against perhaps the Big West Conference’s best team at Boise, Idaho.

Boise State, 10-3 overall and 3-0 in the conference, led by only five points with less than seven minutes left, but a turnover wiped out Irvine’s last chance to cut the deficit to three points.

The Anteaters had 23 turnovers to 13 for the Broncos.

“I liked the way our kids fought the whole game,” Irvine Coach Pat Douglass said. “We came on the road and played with some energy and enthusiasm. They were concerned at one point, but we bailed them out by letting them get to the foul line.”

Irvine (5-8, 1-2) turned in a solid effort on defense, but Boise State’s free-throw shooting and the all-around play of swingman Roberto Bergersen was the difference.

Bergersen, the nation’s second-leading scorer, finished with a game-high 26 points. Bergersen made seven of 14 shots from the floor and 10 of 13 free throws. Boise State connected on 31 of 40 free throws to 13 of 18 for the Anteaters.

The Anteaters got a career-high 23 points from junior Marek Ondera.

The Anteaters were without freshman guard Gabe Cagwin, who sat out the game under a one-game suspension for a violation of team rules.