UCR turns back the clock

IRVINE – UC Irvine men’s basketball coach Pat Douglass turned 60 on Saturday. It can be argued that losses like this make him feel old.

UC Riverside’s 65-56 Big West Conference triumph before a season-high 4,107, at the Bren Events Center was, in fact, old school. It had been nearly 33 years since the Highlanders, who came into the contest alone in the Big West cellar, had defeated UCI on the Anteaters’ home floor.

It was Feb. 10, 1977, just more than 10 years before the Bren Center even opened, that Riverside provided a bitter taste to UCI’s home cooking.

The game turned on execution down the stretch, as the Anteaters (9-11, 3-5 in conference), failed to produce a field goal in the final 7:01.

Michael Hunter’s three-pointer with 7:01 left put the hosts up, 51-48.

A Darren Moore free throw created a 52-52 deadlock with 4:19 remaining, but Riverside scored the next four points.

The Highlanders (8-11, 2-5) also finished the game on an 8-0 run to break a five-game losing streak.

Hunter, who was kneed in the spine in Thursday’s home win against Long Beach State, had been the leading pain in the Highlanders’ side until the final moments.

The lithe, 5-foot-10 senior guard had hit seven straight field-goal tries, including four straight from three-point range, before missing his final attempt, a five-foot runner that wedged between the rim and the glass with 47 seconds left and Riverside leading, 59-56.

Hunter finsihed seven for 11 from the field, four of six from beyond the arc.

UCI committed four turnovers in the final four minutes to sabotage its attempt to continue its home dominance over Riverside.

“They made some key baskets down the stretch and we weren’t able to convert,” Douglass said. “[Kyle] Austin [a 6-8 junior forward] made some big buckets for them and their guards did a good job of attacking. I was not happy with our perimeter defense.”

Austin, whose 16.8 scoring average coming in was nearly double the Highlanders’ second-best scorer (Larry Gurganious at 8.6), scored 16 of his 18 points after halftime.

But it was Riverside junior guard Dwight Gordon who may have been the difference. The 6-2 transfer from Victor Valley Community College had a career-high 13 points by halftime. He finished with 19 points in 32 reserve minutes, including driving layups on back-to-back Riverside possessions after UCI had pulled even at 52. The latter two scores helped the visitors take the lead for good.

UCI sophomore star Eric Wise finished with 14 points, but made just six of 16 field-goal attempts and wound up with three rebounds. He did have four assists.

UCI made just 18 of 47 shots from the field (35.8%), while Riverside sank 12 of 21 attempts in the second half (57.1%) to wind up at 50% for the game.

UCI committed seven of its 11 turnovers after intermission and managed just 23 rebounds, a season low and eight fewer than the Highlanders.

Adam Folker and Patrick Rembert led UCI with four rebounds apiece, but contributed just three points between them.

Junior guard Darren Moore had nine points for the hosts, but he also committed five turnovers.

UCI used a 9-2 run early to claim an 11-6 lead, but Riverside later countered with a 7-0 spurt. From there on, the final 24 minutes was a seesaw affair.

The score was tied 15 times and there were 21 lead changes.

Led by Gordon, the Riverside bench outscored the UCI reserves, 27-10.

The Highlanders were also five for eight from three-point range (62.5%).

Big West Conference

UC Riverside 65, UC Irvine 56

UCR – Austin 18, Hampton 2, McMullan 11, Gurganious 7, Cunningham 0, Gordon 19, Dowdy 8.

3-pt. goals – Dowdy 2, Austin 1, McMullan 1, Gordon 1.

Fouled out – Gurgainious.

Technicals – None.

UCI – Wise 14, Folker 0, Hunter 20, Moore 9, Rembert 3, Atkinson 4, Strings 3, Lalehzadeh 3.

3-pt. goals – Hunter 4, Rembert 1, Strings 1.

Fouled out – Moore.

Technicals – None.

Halftime – UCI, 27-24.