Irvine Gets Road Victory, Sole Spot Atop Big West

RENO —  It was big-game time Thursday night, and UC Irvine rose to the occasion.

The Anteaters took full possession of first place in the Big West basketball race with a 72-70 victory over Nevada before 7,643 in Lawlor Center, dodging two bullets in the final 30 seconds.

Forward Kevin Simmons blocked a shot by Brian Green to turn back the Wolf Pack once before Raimonds Miglinieks made a free throw with eight seconds left to give Irvine its final margin with eight seconds to go. Nevada’s Richard Brown drove the ball quickly down the court and got off an off-balance layup that missed.

“It was a big win for us,” said Irvine Coach Rod Baker. It marked the first time Irvine has been in first place this late in a regular-season conference race, dating to its days in the Pacific Coast Athletic Association. The 1981-82 team started 6-0.

Miglinieks scored a career-high 27 points to lift Irvine to 8-6 overall and 5-2 in the conference. Nevada dropped to 11-6, 4-3.

Miglinieks was nine of 15 from the field, including six of 10 on three-point shots. Simmons had 16 points to go with what he called “probably one of the biggest blocks of my life.”

“Raimonds got open shots and he made them,” Baker said. “It was one of those nights where we needed a pick-me-up, and Raimonds gave it to us.”

Nevada won all three games between the two teams last season, including a victory in the semifinals of the Big West tournament.