Anteaters fall short at Loyola

CHICAGO, Ill. — UC Irvine suffered its seventh straight road loss, but found a bright spot that’s sure to be talked about on the plane trip back home for the Anteaters men’s basketball team.

UCI freshman point guard Michael Hunter scored 12 points, dished out a career-high nine assists, recorded two steals and committed zero turnovers in the Anteaters’ 72-69 loss to Loyola University Chicago at the Gentile Center Friday night.

Hunter’s performance and the ‘Eaters’ rally from a 14-point deficit weren’t enough. Three free throws by the Ramblers in the final 19 seconds made the difference.

Majak Kou hit one of two free throws with 18.5 seconds left to give Loyola a 70-67 lead before UCI junior forward Patrick Sanders hit a jumper with 8.4 seconds remaining to pull the Anteaters within 70-69. Loyola’s Blake Schilb then hit two foul shots with 6.5 seconds left to put the Ramblers up 72-69 and UCI senior forward Nic Campbell’s three-point attempt from the left corner hit off the rim as time expired.

Schilb led all scorers with 17 points, J.R. Blount added 15 and Kou 11 as Loyola improved to 9-4 on the season. The Ramblers have defeated UCI in all five series meetings.

Senior center Mark Kelley led the Anteaters (4-8) with 13 points while Campbell, like Hunter, added 12. Hunter played 26 minutes off the bench.

Junior center Darren Fells had 11 points, hitting five of seven field goals, while Sanders added 10 points and a game-high seven rebounds.

Loyola, which led 38-31 at halftime, took a 51-37 lead on a three-pointer by Blount with 15:46 remaining before UCI went on a 20-5 run, culminated by a Hunter layup to take a 57-56 lead with 10:08 left.

The Anteaters had a 65-63 lead with 3:44 remaining on a jumper by Kelley, but a free throw by Kou and two from Schilb put the Ramblers up 66-65 with 2:52 left and Blount converted a layup with 1:45 remaining to increase the margin to 68-65.

Fells hit a jumper with 1:21 left to pull UCI within one but Blount hit one free throw with 58.6 seconds remaining for a 69-67 Ramblers’ lead.

“It was a good ballgame and we had chances to win, but (Blake) Schilb stepped up and made some big plays down the stretch for Loyola,” UCI Coach Pat Douglass said in a press release. “After Loyola got the 14-point lead in the second half, we went big with Darren Fells and Mark Kelley and made a nice run. I told Michael (Hunter) to play quick and he did, which enabled him to make some baskets. It was nice to see him have a good game as we are young at the guard position.”

The Anteaters host Harvard Thursday night at 7:30 at the Bren Events Center.

It is the second game of a doubleheader as the UCI women’s team faces Fairfield at 5:00 p.m.

Nonconference

Loyola 72,

UC Irvine 69

UC Irvine -- Sanders 10, Templeton 9, Kelley 13, DeCasas 2, Hunter 12, Campbell 12, Fells 11.

3-pt. goals -- Campbell 2, Hunter 1.

Fouled out -- Templeton.

Technicals -- Team.

Loyola -- Polka 6, Young 7, Schilb 17, Kou 11, Blount 15, Robinson 2, Woods 6, Telander 6, Williams 2.

3-pt. goals -- Telander 2, Kou 2, Schilb 1, Blount 1.

Fouled out -- Young.

Technicals -- None.

Halftime -- 38-31, Loyola.