Game story from Dec. 29, 1986 (victory over Cal-Irvine)
Dec. 29, 1986
Hawkeyes nip Anteaters, 105-103
12-0 record is best start in 35 seasons
It’s third tournament championship for Iowa
By Ron Maly
Register Staff Writer
LONG BEACH, CALIF – In a showcase offensive performance, third-ranked Iowa stretched its record to 12-0 Monday night with a 105-103 victory over California-Irvine that claimed the Anteater Classic basketball championship.
The Hawkeyes thus became one of only three Iowa teams to start a season with 12 victories. The others were in 1943-44 and 1951-52.
Cal-Irvine, the host school, had possession and a chance to win in the final 20 seconds, but never got off a shot. Iowa guard Kevin Gamble came up with a loose ball as time expired.
It was the Hawkeyes’ third tournament title of the season – something no previous Iowa team had accomplished.
Coach Tom Davis’ squad earlier won championships in the Great Alaska Shootout and the Amana-Hawkeye Classic.
And Iowa sophomore Roy Marble has been the most valuable player in all three tournaments.
Marble won the honor here after pouring in 28 points. Joining him in the post-game honors were teammate Brad Lohaus, Cal-Irvine’s Scott Brooks and Joe Buchanan, and Greg Attaway and Greg Anthony of Portland, all of whom were named to the all-tournament team.
Portland finished third with a 79-57 victory over Eastern Washington.
“The mark of this Iowa team is that we refuse to lose,” Davis said. “The players have developed a strong belief in themselves that they’ll find a way.
“Maybe we’re not as strong as we should be in some areas, but this team does have an awful lot of character.
Marble said, “A game like this was just what we needed. It’s the first time some team has played a hard 40 minutes against us.
“They were on our tails the whole game. I think that opened a lot of eyes.”
Brooks, a 5-foot, 11-inch beach boy with a flat-top haircut, scored 22 of his 30 points while the Anteaters were taking a 60-56 halftime lead.
Brooks made six three-point field goals, and Cal-Irvine finished with 11 of the long-range shots in 20 attempts.
It marked the first time an Iowa opponent has scored more than 100 points since the 1975-76 season.
Three Hawkeye foes went over the century mark that year, – Indiana in a 101-81 romp past Iowa, Michigan in a 104-95 victory and Michigan State in a 105-88 breeze.
Cal-Irvine, which saw its record fall to 5-4, has scored more than 100 points four times this year, with a high of 121 against Bradley. Iowa became the Anteaters’ fourth foe to surpass 100.
Lohaus and B.J. Armstrong each added 20 points for Iowa, but Ed Horton was as much a hero as anyone. Horton came into the game a 48 percent free throw shooter, but sank three straight after making a twisting field goal that sent Iowa in front 100-98, with 2 minutes 6 seconds remaining.
Horton was fouled on the play and made the free throw. With 1:40 to go, Horton sank two more free shots for a 103-98 Hawkeye lead. Iowa led 105-100, with 40 seconds to go, but Mike Doktorczyk gunned in a three-point field goal.
Armstrong, who played despite having the flu, missed on the front half of a bonus free throw opportunity with 25 seconds to play, and Cal-Irvine rebounded.
The Anteaters called time at :20, and seemingly were setting up one final shot. But it never materialized.
The game drew a crowd of 4,380, with more than half of the fans cheering for Iowa. However, the Hawkeye band and cheerleaders weren’t present, as they were for the 84-65 victory over Portland in the first round.
“Everybody said it was a great effort, but we wanted to win,” said Cal-Irvine coach Bill Mulligan.
“We missed easy shots and key free throws down the line at the end.
“We’ll play with anybody that goes up and down the court with us.”
Iowa trailed by 11 points late in the first half, but kept plugging away at the hot-shooting Anteaters.
However, the Hawkeye pressure defense – which had bothered numerous other opponents – wasn’t much a factor against Cal-Irvine.
Iowa rattled off 13 straight point after Cal-Irvine built an 81-72 lead.
IOWA (105) — Marble 11-15 6-8 28, Lohaus 8-15 1-2 20, Horton 3-7 3-4 9, Gamble 2-5 3-5 8, Armstrong 10-18 0-1 20, Jones 3-3 0-0 6, Moe 2-6 4-4 9, Hill 0-2 1-2 1, Lorenzen 1-1 2-2 4. Totals 40-72 20-28 105.
UC-IRVINE (103) — Floyd 3-5 0-2 6, M. Doktorczyk 3-8 4-5 12, Engelstad 8-13 2-4 18, Brooks 9-16 6-6 30, Buchanan 6-16 2-2 16, Hess 3-6 0-0 7, R. Doktorczyk 0-0 3-5 3, Warren 3-4 0-0 6, Woods 1-5 3-4 5. Totals 36-73 20-28 103.
Halftime—UC-Irvine 60, Iowa 56. Fouled Out—Buchanan. Rebounds—Iowa 47 (Marble, Lohaus, Gamble 10), UC-Irvine 37 (Englestad 9). Assists—iowa 20 (Horton 8), UC-Irvine 29 (Buchanan 6). Total Fouls—Iowa 23, UC-Irvine 26. Technicals—None. Attendance—4,380.
