UCI lead trimmed by Tigers

Two-time defending Big West Conference champion Pacific halts ‘Eaters’ win streak at eight. UCI still holds two-game cushion.STOCKTON -- The UC Irvine men’s basketball team’s surprising Big West Conference dominance hit a bump in the road Thursday night.

Make that a bump on the road.

Pacific, which has won or shared the last two regular season conference titles, earned a 64-52 victory over the Anteaters, before 4,720 at the Spanos Center.

The loss trimmed UCI’s conference lead to two games. UCI is now 12-9, 8-1 in the Big West, while second-place Pacific improved to 15-6, 5-2.

The Tigers scored the last five points of the first half to take a 33-28 lead into intermission. They then controlled play in the final 20 minutes to hand UCI its first loss in six Big West road games this season.

UCI, which committed 21 turnovers and shot just 30% from three-point range, 40% from the field, plays its final Big West road date Saturday at Cal State Northridge.

Sophomore Patrick Sanders led the Anteaters with 15 points and freshman Adam Templeton added 11 off the bench.

UOP got 18 points and 10 rebounds from senior Christian Maraker, a two-time first-team all-conference performer.

UCI shot only nine free throws, making six.

Big West Conference

Pacific 64,

UC Irvine 52

Score by Halves