Anteaters withstand late surge

Javon Borum made a 12-foot baseline jumper to knot the score at 60 with 5:00 remaining and Austin scored from 15 feet out on the right wing with 3:56 left to give the Highlanders a 62-60 edge, their first lead since 20-19.

But Irvine, which produced its last four field goals from beyond the three-point line, held strong.

“We didn’t wilt when they came back at us,” Douglass said. “We put as many minutes together as we have all year. We made some big threes and I thought Kevin Bland probably played one of his better ballgames in our last 10 or 20 games.

“It was a great team effort and an opportune time for us to come on the road and get a win in the middle of league … It’s very uplifting.”

UCI shot 55.1% from the field (27 of 49) and sank 11 of 25 from threedom. UCI made half of its 12 second-half three-point tries.

Lauer added 12 points, while Eric Wise and Strings had eight apiece for the winners.

“It’s a huge win for us,” Hunter said. “They had size at every position, but we had quickness.”

Said Wooldridge: “Hunter’s two threes were huge plays and he made them. We couldn’t stop them. We did come back and made some plays, but we had so much to overcome, we couldn’t get it done.”

Riverside shot 51% from the field, and won the rebounding (27-24) and turnover battles (10 to UCI’s 11).

Big West Conference

UC Irvine 71, UC Riverside 66

UCI – Bland 17, Wise 8, Hunter 19 , Lauer 12, Strings 8, Rembert 5, Folker 2.

3-pt.goals – Hunter 5, Lauer 3, Strings 2, Rembert 1.

Fouled out – None.

UCR – Austin 21, Soto 2, Scott 12, Cunningham 7, Borum 6, LoBue 13, Dowdy 3, Veteto 2.

3-pt.goals – LoBue 2, Austin 1, Dowdy 1.

Halftime – UCI, 39-30.

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