‘Eaters shock UCSB

IRVINE — The UC Irvine men’s basketball team proved Thursday night that the best way to counter an apparent free fall was to initiate stop, after defensive stop, after stop.

Clutch defense down the stretch virtually eradicated any need for offense in the Anteaters’ 66-63 Big West Conference triumph over preseason conference favorite UC Santa Barbara.

This was a good thing, since the hosts went 5:50 without a point, until Patrick Sanders made two free throws with 0:00.7 seconds remaining to help stave off a spirited comeback by the Gauchos (12-3, 1-2 in conference), ranked No. 6 in the CollegeInsider.com mid-major poll.

Sanders, who led all scorers with 16 points, was, perhaps, more valuable at the defensive end, where he took most of the responsibility for checking UCSB senior Alex Harris, who came in leading the conference in scoring at 22.1 points per game.

Sanders, with some help from senior reserve Marcus McIntosh, held Harris to seven points in each half. Harris managed just 11 field-goal attempts, just three after halftime and just two after he drained a three-pointer to open the second-half scoring. Harris made three of only five free throws.

Harris scored UCSB’s next two points on a pair of free throws, then went nearly 16 minutes before scoring again — a layup that pulled the visitors within 64-55 with 2:29 remaining.

A three-pointer by Santa Barbara’s D.J. Posley with 1:09 left, capped an 11-0 Gauchos run that trimmed the deficit to 64-63.

UCSB’s Justin Joyner deflected a UCI pass to teammate Ivan Elliott on UCI’s ensuing possession and the Gauchos called timeout with 44 seconds left.

With Sanders blanketing Harris, UCSB worked the ball to Elliott, who missed a 17-footer from the left wing with 14.1 seconds left.

Sanders was fouled while collecting the rebound, but the front end of his one-and-one swirled out, giving UCSB yet another chance to become the sixth team to overturn a second-half deficit to beat the Anteaters (6-9, 1-1).

This time, UCSB got the ball to Harris on the right baseline.

“We tried to deny him the ball, but he got it anyway,” Sanders said. “He tried to spin, but Kevin [Bland] rushed him and we just doubled him and [the ball] fell out of bounds.”

Bland’s presence appeared to startle Harris, who lost control of the ball with 0:00.7 left.

UCSB fouled Sanders before the ball could be inbounded and he connected on both foul shots, despite instructions from Coach Pat Douglass to miss, which would have forced UCSB, with no timeouts left, to rebound and fire the length of the court to try to tie it with a three-pointer.

UCSB inbounded with a desperation heave intended for Harris near the foul line, but UCI’s Michael Hunter led a swarm of Anteaters defenders in knocking the ball away, making UCI 5-0 in games played on its campus this season.

The Sanders free throws were one of the few times the team did not follow Douglass’ plan, which called for ball movement and penetration against UCSB’s two-three zone defense, and exhaustive effort on defense.

“Our defense was better than it has been,” Douglass said. “We haven’t been setting the world on fire with our defense. We just tried to stay with Harris. He’s a candidate for Player of the Year in our conference, so he definitely had our attention. [UCSB] is an explosive ballclub and we were explosive for a while. We were up [61-43 with 10 minutes left after a Hunter three-pointer], but then, bang, bang, bang, the roof fell in.

“But, at the end, we had a few possessions when we could have tanked, because we had lost our lead. But I thought our kids showed good resolve and toughness down the stretch.”

UCI turned a 9-2 deficit into a 20-11 lead, on its way to a 34-28 halftime advantage.

It then netted seven of its first nine field-goal attempts after intermission, including four three-pointers by three players, to extend the lead.

The aforementioned Hunter three-pointer midway through the second half capped a 13-0 burst, but a Brett Lauer three-pointer with 5:51 left, his third in five attempts, provided the only points for the hosts, until Sanders’ clinching free throws.

UCI senior center Darren Fells had 12 points and a game-high 13 rebounds, helping UCI win the rebounding battle, 35-26.

Lauer finished with 14 points, while McIntosh chipped in nine points (on four-of-seven-shooting) and his four assists shared the team lead with Hunter.

“I thought Marcus had an outstanding game, defensively and offensively,” said Douglass, who announced before the game that junior guard Trey Harris had joined senior Chuma Awaji on the sideline with academic issues. “I thought [McIntosh] was the key. In a game like this, you need someone to step up and I thought he stepped up.

“I’m elated with the win,” Douglass said. “We needed that win, because we’ve had leads and lost them [in setbacks against South Carolina, Chatanooga, Utah, San Diego and Sam Houston State]. I think that win is going to give us confidence.”

Said Sanders: “We got a couple breaks at the end. It all came down to one defensive stop and we were able to get it on Harris.”

Big West Conference

UC Irvine 66, UC anta Barbara 63

UCSB – Elliott 12, Devine 7, Harris 15, Powell 5, Joyner 2, Roemer 12, Posley 6, Pajevic 4.

3-pt. goals – Roemer 4, Harris 2, Elliott 2, Posley 1, Powell 1.

Fouled out - None.

Technicals - None.

UCI – Sanders 16, Bland 6, Fells 12, Lauer 14, Hunter 5, McIntosh 9, DeCasas 3, Rembert 1.

3-pt. goals – Lauer 3, Sanders 2, Hunter 1, McIntosh 1, DeCasas 1.

Fouled out - None.

Technicals - None.

Halftime – UCI, 66-63.

BARRY FAULKNER may be reached at (714) 966-4615 or at barry.faulkner@latimes.com.