For a Change, UCI Survives Late Charge
There was no doubt what was about to happen.
UC Santa Barbara’s Larry Bell grabbed the rebound on a missed free throw with four seconds left. He dribbled nearly the length of the court. He tossed up a running three-pointer.
The way UC Irvine’s season has gone . . . well, even Anteater Coach Pat Douglass could see it coming.
Only the shot banked off the backboard, hit the rim and fell harmlessly to the court.
The Anteaters had survived for a 61-58 victory in front of 1,397 in the Bren Center Saturday.
“We have had games where I know that shot is going to go in,” Douglass said. “I went, ‘Oh Jeez.’ When the ball went up and it didn’t, I was like, ‘Oh, he missed it?’ ”
That it came to that will be something Douglass and the Anteaters (11-12, 4-8) can gloss over.
They nearly blew a 19-point second-half lead. They scored only three points in the last 6 minutes 57 seconds. They watched as Erick Ashe put up a three-pointer that would have given the Gauchos (11-12, 7-5), who had won seven of eight, the lead with less than 10 seconds left.
None of that mattered, including Bell’s final fling.
Forward Marek Ondera scored 23 points and guard Malachi Edmond had 20. The rest of the Anteaters chipped in here and there, playing one of their better games to remain tied for fourth place in the Big West Conference’s Western Division.
“That last shot was a heart stopper,” Ondera said. “There are a lot times you see those miracle shots go in at the buzzer. It didn’t and we won.”
‘Nuff said.
The Anteaters had only nine players, having lost guards Zamiro Bennem (personal reasons) and Sean Jackson (sprained ankle) in the last four days. They were left with only three guards against the Gauchos, who use a three-guard lineup to challenge everything on the perimeter.
On top of that, Irvine was coming off back-to-back poor showings, one against the Gauchos.
“We just went out and played,” said Ondera, who also had 13 rebounds. “Sometimes we think too hard about what we’re doing.”
That, apparently, was all the Anteaters needed. They looked sharp for 35 minutes . . . then seemed gassed.
The Anteaters smothered the Gauchos defensively. Santa Barbara shot 34% and was four of 22 on three-pointers. Ashe was two of 12 on three-pointers.
Irvine led, 32-21, at halftime, then pushed it to 53-34 with 11:37 left. Ben Jones’ three-pointer gave the Anteaters a 58-43 lead with 6:57 left. They didn’t get another field goal.
“I’ve been here three years and I’ve seen how Santa Barbara can rattle you,” said Edmond, who played 38 minutes. “I have been through this before. We just had to hold it together.”
Edmond made it possible.
He made seven of 10 shots in the first half. Three were three-pointers, one from NBA range. Edmond is averaging six points on the season, but 12 in the last seven games.
“He is playing at an incredible level,” Douglass said. “I want to choose my words well here: I never thought Mal could get 17 points in a half.”
