Steve Virgen
This was a game they had to have. It turned out to be a game that
got away.
UC Irvine lost its third straight Big West Conference basketball
game, its longest losing streak since the 1999-2000 season, after Cal
Poly San Luis Obispo outlasted the Anteaters, 74-68, before 2,175 at
the Bren Events Center Saturday night. The Mustangs outscored UCI,
6-0, in the final 2:50.
UCI Coach Pat Douglass said his squad became complacent with a
10-point lead. Cal Poly's 6-foot-8 junior forward Varnie Dennis said
the Anteaters' big men played little.
"Their post men aren't very physical," said Dennis, who scored a
game-high 20 points.
"They came in wanting to beat us, wanting to get back on their
feet. We took that personal. Their coach picked us low in the
conference (preseason rankings) and he said he had the best
frontcourt in the conference. We didn't think they thought very
highly of us. We came in with a chip on our shoulder."
UCI's 7-0 junior center Adam Parada led the Anteaters with 16
points, yet 12 came in the first half. Meanwhile, junior forward
Stanislav Zuzak, who went scoreless in a 70-54 loss to UC Santa
Barbara Thursday night, finished with eight points, all in the first
half. UCI senior forward Jordan Harris scored eight points.
"In some ways he's right," Parada said of Dennis' post-game
comments. "I think that's (physical play) something we've lacked.
But, I personally take that as a challenge, something to look forward
to for next time."
UCI has not lost two straight home games since the 1999-00 season
when the Anteaters lost to Boise State and Fullerton. Those Anteaters
finished 14-14, 7-9 in the Big West. This year's UCI team is 11-7,
5-4 in the Big West and at the lowest point of its season.
UCI is now tied for fourth place with Cal Poly in the Big West.
"It's a tough loss," Douglass said. "We've kind of needed this one
to break out of this rut we're in, and we didn't get it. We had a
good first half. We just couldn't sustain the level of play for 40
minutes."
UCI freshman Jeff Gloger once again showed great hustle throughout
the game. He scored 13 points and recorded two steals.
UCI shot 44.4% (16 for 36) in the first half and committed just
two turnovers. The Anteaters committed 11 turnovers in the first half
on their way to losing to Santa Barbara, 70-54, Thursday night. UCI
shot 30.8% in the second half (8 for 26).
"I told my guys, you're in a hornets' nest because I knew Pat
would have his guys ready to play hard," Cal Poly Coach Kevin Bromley
