There’s always frustration after a loss, but the kind felt by the UC Irvine players and coaches on Thursday afternoon came from a hole deep in their pride.
The Anteaters work hardest on their defensive game and a commitment to team rebounding. It’s what has helped the program twice win the Big West Tournament title and made them the team-to-beat in the league for half a decade.
But fourth-seeded UCI was outplayed by fifth-seeded UC Santa Barbara in both areas in the Anteaters’ 78-69 loss in a quarterfinal game at Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, Nevada. The Gauchos shot 51% from the field, 13 of their points came on second-chance opportunities and they outrebounded UCI 36-29.
“We didn’t play our usual game on defense,” head coach Russ Turner said. “They dominated the paint in the first half and shot the 3-ball better, and they led in rebounds. It’s a credit to (UCSB).
“We played hard, and I was proud of the team’s fight late in the game. But UCSB was just better. Sometimes that happens. We came in believing we had a team capable of winning the title, but they played at a great level.”
The Anteaters finished an up-and-down season with a 15-10 record. UCSB (17-10) advances to a semifinal game against top-seeded Long Beach State (19-11) on Friday at 6 p.m.
The Gauchos were under .500 for the first half of the season after losing three seniors and suffering a few injuries, but they closed the season on an 8-1 run and were the team that snapped Long Beach’s 10-game winning streak last month.
UCSB led by as much as seven points in the first half before the Anteaters closed the margin to two by halftime. The margin was still two when UCSB went on a 14-5 run in a span of 3½ minutes in the second half. Ajare Sanni fueled that spurt with three baskets, two of them 3-pointers.
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The Gauchos had another second-half run to open a 15-point lead with 6:41 left, Amadou Sow making two baskets. The Anteaters pressed late, and senior Collin Welp scored eight points during a run that whittled the margin to four points at 73-69 with 57 seconds left. UCI almost forced another turnover in the backcourt, but UCSB guard Calvin Wishart was able to get off a pass a second before a violation.
“It’s hard when you’re playing in a win-or-go-home game,” said DJ Davis, who led the Anteaters with 21 points. “You do what you can to win. It’s just basketball. The game doesn’t go your way.”
Welp finished his career with 17 points and eight rebounds and Dawson Baker had 16 points. Sow led UCSB with 21 points and 16 rebounds. Sanni had 20 points and hit four 3-pointers, while Wishart had 14 points and five assists.