Anteaters Barely Show Pulse in Loss to Cal Poly SLO
There was a long pause, about 20 seconds, that said more than the words that followed.
UC Irvine Coach Pat Douglass thought the question through: Is this where you expected your team to be at this point?
“The only thing you can do is battle,” a depressed Douglass finally said after Cal Poly San Luis Obispo had trounced the Anteaters, 89-75, Thursday.
Oh, something different than what Irvine had just displayed in front of 1,006 in the Bren Center.
All that was missing in this one were the toe-tags. In fact, the Anteaters were out of it before the reserves had a chance to warm up their seats following introductions.
Just a week ago, Irvine had routed the Mustangs, who have lost 14 of 17 games, 90-67 at San Luis Obispo. That game seemed to be an awakening for the Anteaters.
Then they overslept Thursday. The game started at 7:05 p.m. Irvine showed up about eight minutes later.
By then, the Mustangs had a 26-4 lead and were able to easily deflect the Anteaters’ one moment of life in the second half.
There was no explanation, from Irvine’s high command or its players.
“This time of year, the players know the importance of each game,” Douglass said. “I can’t say why. I’m responsible to prepare the team, but the players have to play. That is something you are going to have to ask the players.”
“I don’t know what to point to,” forward Marek Ondera said. “I’m really at a loss. Maybe we can just say it was a bad night.”
Irvine (10-12, 3-8) is still tied with San Luis Obispo (8-15, 3-8) and Cal State Fullerton for fourth--or last, depending on how you look at it--in the Big West Conference’s Western Division. Barring last-minute legislation from panicked conference officials, one of those team is going to make the Big West tournament.
“It’s never over,” said Irvine guard Malachi Edmond, who had a career-high 23 points. “You know the Big West. You go up and you go down.”
The Anteaters were down from the start. They were two for 11 from the field and had seven turnovers in the first seven minutes.
Meanwhile, the Mustangs made eight of their first 10 three-point attempts, including six straight, and were 11 of 20 for the game. Chris Bjorklund and Jason King both scored 21 points, as the five starters played all but 11 minutes.
The Anteaters did pull to within 47-41 with 16 minutes 36 seconds left. Irvine’s Jerry Green missed a three-point attempt and the Mustangs went on a 14-1 run.
“No one responded when the game was on the line,” Douglass said. “Every time we cut into the lead, we didn’t get a good shot or we didn’t take care of the ball.”
The Anteaters even lost the battle of attrition.
Zamiro Bennem was out, after leaving the team temporarily with personal problems.
Sean Jackson scored 19 points for Irvine but left the game after suffering a sprained left ankle with 9:23 left. He was taken to UC Irvine Medical Center for X-rays.
Green, Irvine’s leading scorer, fouled out with six minutes left, leaving Irvine with two guards--Edmond and Jens Jensen, who played 21 minutes after having played 25 in the previous 10 conference games.
