SOUTHLAND ROUNDUP

UC Irvine 68, Northern Arizona 54--The Anteaters followed their best first half of the season with a significant lull, but recovered in time to beat the Lumberjacks in front of 1,602 at the Bren Center.

Irvine shot a season-best 63% in opening half and led, 39-27, but quickly returned to a more-typical struggling form to start the second half.

“We played a phenomenal first half,” Irvine Coach Pat Douglass said, “That’s as good as we’ve played this season . . . but we lost our intensity for a period of time.”

Early in second half, Irvine started to look a lot like the team that turned the ball over 33 times in a 68-54 loss to Portland on Monday.

The Anteaters (2-3) turned it over on five consecutive possessions as Northern Arizona (4-3) closed in.

The Lumberjacks closed to 53-49 on two free throws by Casey Frank with 3:145 left. But Irvine recovered, thanks to the play of freshman point guard Jerry Green and sophomore guard Jason Flowers.

Flowers made a three-point basket from the right corner for a 56-49 lead with 2:38 to play then teamed with Green to make 12 free throws--six each--as the Anteaters pulled away.

There was a simple reason for Irvine’s turnaround, according to Green, who finished with a season-high 24 points.

“Coach got on us,” he said. “I expected us to start well, but not this well.”

The Anteaters’ next game is Dec. 14 at Arizona.