Anteaters withstand Waves

IRVINE — The UC Irvine men’s basketball team relies upon junior Patrick Sanders for many things. But until Saturday night, defense wasn’t near the top of that list.

The Anteaters’ leading scorer and rebounder, however, came up with the pivotal defensive stop in the final seconds to help preserve a 68-66 nonconference victory over visiting Pepperdine in front of 1,067 at the Bren Events Center.

“It all came down to defense and that last play,” said Sanders, a 6-foot-7 leaper who entered the Anteaters’ seventh game in 16 days averaging 13.3 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.

Sanders, who contributed 14 points and six rebounds to the cause, found himself matched up with Pepperdine senior guard Chase Griffin with about eight seconds left and UCI leading, 67-66.

Griffin had scored nine of his team’s last 23 points to help turn a sloppy affair into a down-to-the-wire thriller.

But as the 6-2 Griffin attacked the lane from the top of the key, Sanders remained between him and the basket. Griffin jumped to the right from the center of the lane, but Sanders got a hand up and appeared to alter the eight-foot runner, which was rebounded by UCI’s Marcus McIntosh.

McIntosh was fouled, made the second of two free throws, and Pepperdine’s Marvin Lea missed a 40-foot desperation three-pointer at the buzzer.

The win halted a two-game losing streak for UCI (3-4), which will not play again until visiting Loyola Marymount on Dec. 9.

Sanders was not the only defensive hero in the final minute.

Sophomore Adam Templeton, who sank two free throws with 21 seconds left to put the hosts ahead for good, battled Griffin on an isolation play that ended in a missed runner that Darren Fells rebounded with 54 seconds remaining.

After Fells, who led the winners with 15 points, a career-high 15 rebounds, as well as four assists, missed both free throws in the double bonus, UCI junior guard Chuma Awaji stepped up on the defensive end.

Awaji forced Lea, a left-hander who scored most of his team-high 18 points off penetration, to go right, away from his preferred path, and into an awkward runner in the paint. The shot missed and Awaji snagged the rebound to set up Templeton’s game-winning free throws.

“I thought Patrick, with his jumping ability, could maybe get into [Griffin’s] shot,” said UCI Coach Pat Douglass, who before the season answered a question about Sanders’ best defensive position with “Whenever we go to zone.”

Said Sanders, who tied a career high with four blocked shots: “Coach gives me a hard time about my defense — about everything. But that’s his job.

“They were pushing off all night and I told myself I just had to do that. Luckily, [Griffin] had to alter the shot so much, it came up short and Marcus was able to get the rebound.”

The late defensive stands, as well as a 49-35 edge in rebounds, helped the Anteaters overcome a season-high 29 turnovers against the helter-skelter style employed by the Waves (1-5), under first-year coach Vance Walberg.

“I thought, defensively, we hung with them pretty good,” Douglass said. “As usual, they forced a lot of turnovers.”

Douglass praised the play of Fells, who made five of nine field-goal attempts.

Freshman Chad DeCasas sank four of six from the field on his way to nine points, while McIntosh added 10 points off the bench.

Templeton, who was just one of seven from three-point range (UCI was just three of 17 as a team, 17.6%), made all five of his free throws.

Douglass said the two-week break will help UCI recuperate and polish its game.

He also said replacements are on the way, after the ‘Eaters’ used just eight players. Fells, whom Douglass said had a cold, played all 20 minutes of the second half.

“We’re optimistic we’ll get Mark Kelley [a 6-8 senior who has yet to play due to a hip flexor pull] back for the LMU game and Nic Campbell [a returning senior starter who is still a few weeks away with a bulging disc] is responding to treatment.”

Nonconference

UC Irvine 68,

Pepperdine 66

Pepperdine -- Galick 0, Oakes 2, Lea 18, Griffin 16, Barlow 6, Pranciliauskas 10, Costain 10, Wallace 2, Henry 2.

3-pt. goals -- Pranciliauskas 2, Costain 2, Lea 1, Griffin 1.

Fouled out -- Galick, Henry.

UC Irvine -- Sanders 14, Templeton 12, Fells 15, DeCasas 9, Awaji 0, McIntosh 10, Hunter 5, Gieler 3.

3-pt. goals -- Templeton 1, Awaji 1, DeCasas 1.

Fouled out -- None.

Halftime -- 34-29, UCI.