Latest Defeat Is Just Too Much for Baker : Irvine: After San Jose State wins, 89-76, Anteater coach has more than a few words for his team.

IRVINE —  It was the fait accompli , the last straw, the end of a home stand from hell, and it was more than Rod Baker could bear. A few minutes after San Jose State beat UC Irvine, 89-76, Saturday night, the normally composed and soft-spoken Anteater coach entered his team’s locker room bellowing.

Forty-four minutes later, he finally emerged.

Irvine, which came home after a victory at Utah State on a high, hit new lows in home losses to Pacific and San Jose. The Anteaters (5-9 and 2-4 in conference) are headed in the opposite direction of San Jose (8-7, 4-3), which picked up its third consecutive victory and equaled its most in a season under Coach Stan Morrison.

The Anteaters, who won only six games under Baker last year, could have tied that mark this week. Thursday night, they came up two points short against the Tigers. Saturday night, despite an inspired effort by center DeForrest Boyer, they fell on their faces.

“We had a team meeting, and we talked about tendencies and roles,” Baker said. “(After the tirade), it was conversational after that. We aired some things out.

“Let’s just say I was not real pleased tonight. They pounded us on boards and we simply got outplayed. That’s not a good feeling. We got outplayed by a very good team, that’s not a (mediocre) team, but at this point in conference, no one can afford to be outplayed by anyone.”

San Jose guard Terry Cannon scored 10 of his game-high 26 points in the final 3 1/2 minutes as the Spartans held off a late charge by Irvine and quieted the crowd of 2,789 at the Bren Center.

“When they brought it to six (76-70), we started to execute with the clock and with high-percentage shots,” Cannon said. “We benefited by using the clock and getting baskets.”

The Spartans, as with so many of Irvine’s opponents this season, also benefited from the Anteaters’ poor perimeter defense. Nevada Las Vegas shot 56% from three-point range, and Rebel outside shooters accounted for 42 points on treys. Reno’s Preston Johnson and Jerry Hogan combined to make nine of 15 three-pointers. And Saturday night, San Jose shot 58% on three-pointers, including five of seven in the first half.

“Our defense can’t be very good when we allow a team to shoot 52% and 58% on three-pointers,” Baker said. “Our defense wasn’t as good as theirs, and we’re not going to beat anybody when we make just nine field goals in a half.”

Irvine was nine of 29 from the floor after the intermission, but they still managed to trim a 13-point deficit to six (73-67) when Boyer, who was eight for 13 from the field and finished with 23 points and nine rebounds, made one of two free throws with 3:38 to play.

But Cannon went coast-to-coast for a flying layup, was fouled and made the free throw, and that put the Spartans ahead, 76-67. He made three more free throws and then stole a pass and scored on another drive and layup to seal the victory.

“This one means a lot,” Cannon said. “We’re 4-3 in conference, and for the first time, we’re in a position to be in the upper half in the standings, and that’s a very significant step for our school.”

As for Irvine, well, Baker says he has to go back to the drawing board, a move he had to make in the middle of last season, a season during which the Anteaters managed just six victories.

One of Irvine’s woes has been the anemic shooting of guard Chris Brown. Brown, who became academically eligible on Dec. 10, had been a shot in the arm, but lately, he has been shooting blanks. Brown, who made only three of 10 shots against Pacific, was one for 11 against the Spartans.

“He’s been sick, but that’s not an excuse,” Baker said.