IRVINE — UC Irvine senior guard Darren Moore may have a “Spider-Man” tattoo across his chest, but he played the role of a villain Saturday night in the eyes of the Long Beach State men’s basketball team.
Moore scored 15 of his 21 points in the second half, and the 49ers lost to the Anteaters, 86-76, on their Homecoming night in front of 4,070 at the Bren Events Center. It was UCI’s largest crowd in four years, and the dumbfounded fans stormed the court afterward.
Trailing 74-71 after Casper Ware split a pair of free throws, LBSU (11-10, 6-2 Big West Conference) scored just five points over the final two minutes. Meanwhile, UCI (10-10, 3-3 Big West) converted all 10 of its free throws in that span, including the first eight by Moore.
After opening conference play with six consecutive victories, the ‘Niners have now lost back-to-back contests.
“We’ve got to correct some stuff, defensively,” LBSU head coach Dan Monson said. “[The Anteaters] are a tough team to guard. … I think they’re the best offensive team in the league.
“But the bottom line is, I told our guys, ‘In two weeks, they’ve gotten better and we haven’t.'”
Four players finished in double figures for The Beach led by Greg Plater’s 18 points. Eugene Phelps and Casper Ware added 17 apiece while T.J. Robinson scored 13.
Phelps and Robinson also chipped in 11 rebounds apiece to finish with double-doubles.
However, the Anteaters’ trio of Moore, Eric Wise, and Mike Wilder combined for 66 points — led by Wilder’s game-high 24 to go with 13 rebounds. Wise finished with 21 points before fouling out with 5:41 to play after receiving a technical foul for slamming the ball on the court.
Moore also was on the finishing end of the highlight of the night.
With 10:38 to play, Moore scored a layup after teammate Derick Flowers led a 2-on-1 fastbreak and found the trailing 6-3 guard with a between-the-legs bounce pass. The play whipped the crowd into a frenzy and extended the UCI lead to 54-49.
Then, inside the final minute and the Anteaters leading, 78-71, Moore squashed any chance of an LBSU comeback. The senior stole a pass around half court and dished to Patrick Rembert for the easy layup to seal the game.
The 49ers’ defense had trouble slowing down the Anteaters, who shot 50 percent (25 of 50) from the field. LBSU finished at 40.6 percent (28 of 69) and had trouble finishing around the basket in addition to keeping UCI’s zone defense honest.
“[UCI] was getting every shot and we just weren’t active enough on defense,” Ware said.
Trailing by seven with 5:31 left in the first half, LBSU closed the period on a 14-5 run to take a 37-35 lead into the locker room.
Plater and Phelps led the first-half charge, combining for the first nine points during the key stretch, while a pair of Robinson jump hooks capped the half.
The 49ers had issues finishing around the basket early, which resulted in a barrage of contested jump shots. But The Beach forced 10 UCI turnovers in the first 20 minutes.
The 49ers will return to action Wednesday on the road in Stockton against the University of the Pacific. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
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