IRVINE, Calif. (AP)—Eric Wise scored 12 consecutive UC Irvine points late in Monday night’s game to boost the Anteaters to a 74-61 victory over Pepperdine.
Wise punctuated his game-high 23 points with four baskets and four free throws that turned a 53-50 lead into a 65-59 edge with 2:20 to play.
The Anteaters (6-5) then ran off nine unanswered points before Mychel Thompson scored at the buzzer for the Waves (3-10).
Michael Hunter scored 16 and Darren Moore 14 for UC Irvine. Thompson led Pepperdine with 16, with Dane Suttle Jr. adding 15 and Lorne Jackson 13.
Pepperdine led 40-37 at halftime and went ahead 45-37 on Taylor Darby’s basket at 18:18 of the second half. But soon Wise took over. He made 8 of 16 shots and 7 of 8 free throws, tying his season high.
The Anteaters snapped a two-game losing streak. Pepperdine sustained its seventh consecutive loss.
