Green Is Irvine’s Go-To Man Again

Everyone inside the Bren Center knew the basketball was going to UC Irvine guard Jerry Green with 16 seconds left Thursday night and the Anteaters clinging to a three-point lead over Boise State.

Also to no one’s surprise, Green delivered.

His six-foot runner between two defenders as the shot clock ticked down helped Irvine hold off the Broncos, 76-71, in front of an announced crowd of 2,492.

It was the eighth consecutive victory for the Anteaters (12-2, 4-0), who play six of their next seven games on the road, beginning Saturday night at Cal State Fullerton.

Boise State (10-8, 2-3) made the Anteaters work hard for every shot, thanks to intense double and sometimes triple teams on the ball.

Despite the attention, Green, who has averaged 27 points in his last five games, finished with 25 points. He made 13 of 14 free throws, bringing his total at the line over the last five games to 52 of 57.

Backcourt mate Malachi Edmond broke out of a slump by making four of five three-point shots. He finished with 19 points. Reserve forward Stanislav Zuzak scored 10.

But it was Green’s final shot that did in the Broncos.

Green looked like he was worlds away from his teammates as he received the ball on the right side of the key with his back to the basket and four seconds left on the shot clock. In fact, it could have been another broken play, one of several that the Anteaters, who committed 15 turnovers, had that kept the game close.

But Green whirled and drove to the basket with the ball in his left hand, and he threw the one-hander into the basket over a pair of outstretched hands to beat the shot clock by a second.

Green didn’t pull any punches about the play of the Anteaters, who were outshot, 49% to 45%, from the field.

“No doubt, they were the better team tonight,” Green said of Boise State, which won at the Bren Center last season, 53-52. “They were more disciplined and they ran their offense better.”

As Green spoke while resting against a table in the trainer’s room, Coach Pat Douglass interrupted and suggested to Green that he soften his tone.

Green blushed, acknowledged the coach, and stuck by his statement. It was a bold move for the usually quiet junior guard, who in a span of less than a month has become the team’s offensive leader.

“He’s real deceptive,” Bronco guard Joe Skiffer said of Green. “He’s smooth and he gets to where he wants to go. I don’t know if we could say that we were the better team tonight, because they won. They did the things that you need to do to win in your own house.”

Guard Abe Jackson of Boise State led all scorers with 27 points. Bronco forward Kejuan Woods, who had back-to-back 20-point performances for the first time in his career last week in a loss to Pacific and a victory over Long Beach State, finished with 15 points despite sitting out the middle of the second half after twisting his right ankle.

Green’s basket in the waning moments came after Boise State rallied from a 60-50 deficit with 7 minutes 45 seconds remaining. The Broncos trailed by only three points with 51 seconds to go following a three-foot turnaround floater from Woods.

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Big West Standings

Through Saturday’s games

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Conference Overall Team W L Pct. W L Pct. UC Irvine 4 0 1.000 12 2 .875 Utah State 4 0 1.000 15 2 .882 Long Beach State 3 2 .600 9 8 .529 Pacific 3 2 .600 11 5 .688 UC Santa Barbara 2 2 .500 5 9 .357 Boise State 2 3 .400 10 8 .556 CS Fullerton 1 3 .250 2 12 .143 Cal Poly SLO 0 3 .000 6 8 .429 Idaho 0 4 .000 3 12 .200

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Thursday’s results

Long Beach State 76, UC Santa Barbara 75

Pacific 86, Cal Poly SLO 76

UC Irvine 76, Boise State 71