UC Irvine 84, Belmont of Nashville 74--The...

UC Irvine 84, Belmont of Nashville 74--The Anteaters (5-2) shook off a sluggish start and went on to beat the Bruins (6-5) at the Bren Center.

Belmont made eight of its first 11 shots and held a 19-9 lead after a 15-foot jumper by Adam Mark six minutes into the game.

But the Bruins, a Division I independent who join the Trans America Athletic Conference next season, made only 15 of their final 55 field-goal attempts.

Irvine guard Jerry Green, who scored 17 points and had 10 rebounds, got the Anteaters rolling on a basket with 11 minutes left in the first half. That started a 24-10 barrage that included 10 points from forward Ben Jones. Jones, who finished with a team-high 19 points and also had nine rebounds, tied the score, 37-37, just before the half and Irvine used an 8-0 rally to open the second half for a 45-37 lead.

Green could hardly explain how the Anteaters let Belmont, which has lost 17 of its last 19 games on the road, get off to such a good start.

“We weren’t into it at all,” Green said. “I have no reason. We just didn’t get into it.”