Las Vegas Clinches Title by Edging Irvine, 97-95

LAS VEGAS â€”  That UC Irvine nearly upset ninth-ranked Nevada Las Vegas Wednesday night in the Thomas and Mack Center wasn’t enough for Coach Bill Mulligan.

So what if his Anteater team figured to get blown out by the Rebels, but only lost by two points, 97-95. At this point in the Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. season, Mulligan has concluded that a good effort against a favored team might be nice, but, unless you win, it doesn’t matter.

“I’m tired of finishing close,� Mulligan said. “I would really like to win one.�

At times, it looked as if Irvine (8-9 in conference and 13-14 overall) might win a close one. The Anteaters led, 42-40, at halftime, and were ahead, 72-71, with 7:36 remaining before Las Vegas (16-1, 23-3) finally rallied behind the play of Armon Gilliam and Fred Banks to clinch at least a tie for its third consecutive PCAA championship.

What kept Irvine close was its remarkable free throw shooting, and the play of center Johnny Rogers and forward Tod Murphy.

The Anteaters, who set an NCAA record in 1981 by making 34 free throws in 34 tries against Pacific, were nearly as accurate against Las Vegas, making 30 of 31 free throws.

Rogers and Murphy, meanwhile, were almost unstoppable inside as they combined for 59 points. Rogers, who finished with a game-high 32, was only 3 of 11 from the floor in the first half but came on strong in the second half to score 21. Murphy scored 27 overall, and made his first six shots in the second half.

“We could not stop those guys inside,� Las Vegas Coach Jerry Tarkanian said. “They just went crazy.�

Tarkanian’s Rebels seemed to be lacking in inspiration at times, especially for a team that was on the verge of clinching a conference championship. But, there may have been an explanation.

The Rebels rely heavily on their big crowds to whip them into a frenzy, and the 11,692 who showed up were were not only about 4,000 fewer than expected but also comprised the smallest crowd ever to see a Las Vegas game at the Thomas and Mack Center. Tarkanian said some Las Vegas fans probably stayed home to watch the Georgetown-St. John’s game on television, and that their support was sorely missed.

But when the game was on the line, Las Vegas did come through, even if its local supporters didn’t.

After Irvine had gained a 72-71 lead on a pair of Rogers’ free throws, guard Anthony Jones scored two free throws and a lay up to give Las Vegas a 75-72 lead. The Rebels were never behind again after that.

Gilliam, who led Las Vegas with 24 points, scored eight points in the last six minutes of the game to help the Rebels hold on. A 65% free throw shooter going into the game, he was a surprising 6 of 7 from the line down the stretch.

His final free throws of the game gave Las Vegas a 92-87 lead with 42 seconds left, but a three-point shot by Irvine’s Rodney Scott cut it to 92-90.

It was then Banks’ turn to star in the clutch for Las Vegas. He made four free throws in the final 30 seconds. Las Vegas led, 97-92, with one second left before the Anteaters’ Boris King made a meaningless three-point shot at the buzzer.

Irvine had four other three-point field goals, the most important one coming at the first-half buzzer. Rodney Scott made the shot that turned a 40-39 deficit into a 42-40 halftime lead. Las Vegas had been ahead most of the first half with the Rebels’ biggest lead being eight points.

Unlike Red Auerbach used to, Tarkanian waited until after the game to light up a celebratory cigar, and he had much to celebrate. Las Vegas’ win made the Rebels three for three in the PCAA--three seasons, three championships. Tarkanian, who previously won four PCAA titles at Cal State Long Beach, said he took extra pride in this championship because it has been especially hard-earned.

“I’m happy, very happy to win this season because after Dec. 8 we lost all our credibility,� he said. “That was the day Georgetown beat us so badly (82-46), and I didn’t know if we were going to give up there or not.�

For Mulligan, the latest defeat in a season punctuated by narrow losses, put him in jeopardy of having the first sub-.500 year of his 19-year coaching career. In order to avoid having a losing record in 1984-85, the Anteaters will have to upset Fullerton Saturday and then win at least two games in the PCAA tournament.