Down by five points with 1:11 remaining in regulation, UC Irvine's Michael Hunter hit two free throws and a three-pointer to tie the game at 79-79. Garcia hit one of two free throws, but Hunter responded with a jumper with 36 seconds remaining to pull the Anteaters ahead, 81-80. Garcia was fouled by Eric Wise and made his two free throws to create the 18th lead change of the game.
"I just had to take my time, I've been working on it a lot in practice," Garcia said. "We shoot a lot of free throws so I was just trying to get my focus and knock these two down so we could get the win."
After a timeout by UC Irvine, Hunter dribbled at the top of the key looking to find an opening, but SeattleU's defense would not give him any room. Garrett Lever (Phoenix, Ariz.) tipped the ball away from Hunter, who stumbled and was unable to recover, giving the Redhawks the chance to run out the clock for their third home victory of the season by less than five points.
"We just played solid defense and got it under control. We drew something up in the huddle and we just executed really well," said Lever.
Garcia notched his sixth double-double of the season with 29 points and 13 rebounds, hitting 11-of-20 shots from the field, including a three-pointer, and 6-of-12 attempts from the free throw line. Alex Jones (Phoenix, Ariz.) had his best game so far this season, going 4-of-5 from the field and 8-of-10 from the free throw line for 16 points and five rebounds.
UC Irvine (5-4) went on an 11-3 run over a 3:20 span to go on top, 56-49, with 12:33 remaining in the second half, capped by a three-pointer by Mike Wilder. SeattleU responded with nine unanswered points, starting with a three-point play by Garcia and capped by a rebound and resulting jumper from the junior, to go back on top, 58-56, before Hunter scored the next five points to allow the Anteaters to regain the lead.
A three-pointer by Hunter and a basket from Darren Moore allowed UC Irvine to take a 70-66 lead with 5:25 remaining, but the Redhawks quickly responded with a three-pointer by Chris Gweth (Beaverton, Ore.), a steal from Lever, and a three-pointer by Mike Boxley (Mountlake Terrace, Wash.) for a 72-70 advantage.
Boxley finished the night with 10 points, five rebounds, three steals, and two blocked shots, while Gweth also scored 10 points during the night. Aaron Broussard (Federal Way, Wash.) contributed eight points, three rebounds, and three assists, and Cervante Burrell (Sacramento, Calif.) added six points, five rebounds, and six assists to the winning effort.
Hunter led UC Irvine with 23 points, hitting four three-pointer during the night, and also collected three rebounds, four assists, and three steals. Moore scored 12 points, while Wise and Wilder each scored 10 points for the Anteaters, who saw their three-game winning streak end.
Each team committed 15 turnovers, and Seattle University won the rebounding battle, 46-35. The Redhawks, who notched their 14th consecutive home win, shot 42.4 percent from the field, including 6-of-17 from the three-point line, and 66.7 percent from the free throw line. Meanwhile, UC Irvine shot 46.9 percent from the field, including 8-of-15 from behind the three-point arc, and 68.4 percent from the free throw line.
Seattle University (6-5) will quickly focus on the Golden Grizzlies of Oakland University, who come to town for a contest this Thursday, Dec. 17 beginning at 7:10 p.m. Tickets are still available by going to Ticketmaster.com or by coming to the KeyArena box office on game day. Dave Grosby and Gary Hill, Jr., broadcast all the action from courtside on 710 ESPN Seattle beginning with the pregame show 15 minutes before tip-off.