PC: UCI Athletics Instagram page (@uciathletics)
On Saturday, March 2nd UC Irvine played in the Big West Regular Season Championship Game against UC Davis. Anteaters flooded the Bren, ready to cheer on UCI as they fought for first place in the Big West League. The game started with a heartfelt goodbye to the talented seniors playing in the Bren for the last time. Luke Nelson, Jaron Martin, and Ioannis Dimakopoulos each walked out with their family members and loved ones, posing with their framed jerseys. The crowd cheered them on, thanking them for their years spent playing for UCI and helping us win year after year. While bittersweet to think about losing three major stars from our team, the new generation of basketball players proved that the future of the UCI men’s basketball team is incredibly bright.
PC: UCI Athletics Facebook Page
With the bittersweet goodbye over, the game started. The crowd, decked out in Antourage gear and gold t-shirts, was incredibly enthusiastic throughout every second of the game. Every student was on their feet, cheering, stomping feet, and booing refs. Unfortunately for one UC Davis player who wildly missed a basket in the beginning of the game, the crowd amplified their cheering, yelling “Airball!” every time the Davis player would shoot. Our always supportive Anteater Band held up pictures of cows, providing a distraction for UC Davis players shooting free throws. The atmosphere in the Bren was overwhelmingly excited and the school spirit was electric, particularly with the impressive score. From the beginning, UCI held a substantial lead over UC Davis. By halftime, the ‘Eaters were winning 41-23, thanks in part to Nelson’s 15 points in the first 20 minutes of the game. The ‘Eaters retained the lead for the rest of the game, never letting the score get close enough to be considered a nail biter (which was much appreciated by the crowd!). The game ended with a shocking score of 79-49. Walking out as the ‘Eaters held the Big West Regular Season Championship trophy was definitely a moment to be remembered. Congrats Anteaters and good luck to our seniors!