Anteaters searching for first ‘w’

Steve Virgen

UC Irvine men’s basketball coach Pat Douglass has been patient

this season. He expected his team, which includes four returning

starters, yet six freshmen, to be slow out of the gate. But, sooner

than later, Douglass also expects the Anteaters to, as they say, gel

as a team.

The ‘Eaters will have an opportunity to rediscover themselves when

they take on nonconference host Pepperdine tonight at 7:30 at

Firestone Fieldhouse. The game will be televised on Fox Sports Net 2,

and can also be heard on radio, KUCI 88.9 FM with Mark Roberts

calling play-by-play.

“Each week we’re getting a little bit better,” said Douglass,

whose team lost to No. 7 Oklahoma and Western Michigan in the

season-opening Sooner Invitational last week. “I just think we’re

going to get a little bit better from week to week. The inexperienced

players obviously need more experience.”

Douglass said Pepperdine will definitely be a challenge tonight.

The Waves (0-1) are looking for their first win after losing in

overtime, 95-81, at Bradley last week. Pepperdine was outscored,

18-4, during the overtime period. Pepperdine Coach Paul Westphal said

his two star senior forwards, Jimmy Miggins and Boomer Brazzle, were

“banged up,” in the game and that they will probably be ready for

tonight’s game. Miggins (6-foot-6, 200) and Brazzle (6-7, 230) earned

first-team All-West Coast Conference honors last year, when they

helped lead the Waves to an overall record of 22-9, a share of the

regular season WCC title with Gonzaga after posting a 13-1 league

mark and an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament.

In addition, Pepperdine will be without 6-10 center Will Kimble,

who has been diagnosed with a heart condition, and may no longer be

on the team.

“We have a small team right now,” Westphal said. “We have our two

most effective guys hurting and that has kind of hurt us. UCI will be

tough (tonight). We respect them a lot. They beat us last year.

They’ve lost their first two games. They’re not happy. I expect a

real, tough game.”

Last year’s UCI-Pepperdine matchup was certainly tough. The

Anteaters defeated the Waves, 96-93, in double overtime at the Bren

Center last year, as Jerry Green, who is now playing professionally

in Germany, scored a career-high 41 points.