UC Irvine Blows Late Lead, Loses Again in Overtime

UC Irvine made the second stop of a four-game road swing Saturday night and the Anteaters found yet another way to lose, falling, 92-88, to UC Santa Barbara in overtime.

Irvine had a three-point lead with 51 seconds remaining in regulation, saw that evaporate on Clayton Madden’s three-pointer with 30 seconds left and then saw Lloyd Mumford’s high-arch 12-footer fall short at the buzzer.

In overtime, Santa Barbara made two three-pointers and seven of nine free throws to hand Irvine, 5-11 overall and 2-6 in the Big West Conference, its second consecutive overtime loss.

“We let another one get away that we should have won,” said Mumford, who finished with 22 points. “I think I was fouled on the last shot (in regulation), but you know they’re not going to call that.”

This is one game the Anteaters should have won in regulation.

With 12:50 remaining in the second half, Irvine center DeForrest Boyer fouled Phillip Turner when he blocked Turner’s layup attempt. Boyer then drew a technical foul for taunting while going face-to-face with Turner. Anteater forward Jermaine Avie joined in the fray and also got a technical.

Turner made five of the six free throws.

“We had intelligence breakdowns,” Irvine Coach Rod Baker said. “Those are the kinds of things we can’t afford.”

Madden had a career-high 27 to lead Santa Barbara (8-11, 4-5).