Live Blog: Men's Basketball vs. Pacific 1/15/2011

Live updates from court side at the Pyramid

Pre-game

Well here we go again. As both teams go through their warm up routines and Michael Cage and his Fox Sports Prime Ticket TV crew get prepped, we are ready for another Big West Conference game in the Pyramid.

It's hard not to call this a 'big game' for both teams. Long Beach State wants to continue their perfect start in league play, continue to put distance between themselves and the other contenders in the league and lastly make a statement by protecting home court and beating one of the perennial top Big West teams.

For Pacific, who currently sits at 2-2 in conference play, tonight's game is big for them as well based solely on the fact that they don't want to be four games back of the conference leader this early on.

Keys to the game

Control the tempo. The last few games the 49ers have got out to a sluggish start on offense, that tempo will feed right in to the Pacific Tigers who are a deliberate offensive team who will grind you down. A hot start by LBSU will let them dictate the pace of the early going, and will let Larry Anderson, Casper Ware and the rest of the athletic 49ers get in transition where they can be tough to stop.

Control the ball. Long Beach can't afford to give Pacific extra possessions by carelessly turning the ball over. LB had a staggering 21 turnovers against UC Davis and they really prevented the 49ers from putting the Aggies away. LBSU has to value their possessions tonight and force turnovers of their own.

Control Sam Willard. Willard, like T.J. Robinson is averaging a double-double thus far, and he will have to be a main focus of the 49er defense. Throughout the year, LBSU has done well to control several big time scorers, and though Willard will be a focus just as important as containing him will be rotating back to outside shooters after the Long Beach defense has collapsed on Willard. If they can do both successfully, the defense will have done its job.

Starting lineups

Pacific

Guard Demetrece Young

Guard Terell Smith

Guard Joe Rivera

Forward Sam Willard

Forward Nykia Williams

Long Beach State

Guard Greg Plater

Guard Larry Anderson

Guard Casper Ware

Forward Eugene Phelps

Forward T.J. Robinson

15:59 left in first half LBSU 9 - Pacific 8
T.J. Robinson fed by Larry Anderson for the first bucket of the game. Long Beach has been looking to run, with mixed results thus far. Casper controls an offensive board and rolls all the way down court, feeding Greg Plater for a three.

Sam Willard being aggressive early with four points.

12:11 left in first half LBSU 12 - Pacific 24
Young comes down and hits back to back three point shots for the Tigers. But he picks up two quick fouls and has to head to the bench.

Pacifc scoring the nets from downtown right now, and even when Greg Plater is able to get a nice block, the ball finds the Tigers and Willard lays one in. Timeout by Coach Monson.

6:35 left in first half LBSU 24 - Pacific 30
After the media, Casper comes up with a steal and leads Anderson to the line, where he splits his free throws.

Any slight miscue by the Long Beach State defense, Pacific has been able to capitalize on.

Long Beach now in the bonus, where Ware swishes both his shots. After a good steal in the lane by Phelps, Cas leads the break, finds a cutting Anderson and Larry completes the three point play.

Frantic couple of possessions by both teams, but neither team can convert.

Long Beach on a bit of a run and has the crowd in to it.

3:42 left in first half LBSU 30 - Pacific 36
Young continues to have the hot hand for the Tigers, he and Willard have been the scoring threats for Pacific. Combining for 26 of Pacific's 36 points.

End of first half LBSU 36 - Pacific 40
Ware feeds Larry for what would have been a monster alley-oop but he was fouled.

Pacific absolutely controlling the paint, getting their shot at will.

What started as a broken play for Long Beach is converted in to a buzzer-beating banked-in three pointer by Tristan Wilson from near half-court. Sometimes it's good to be a little lucky right?

16:44 left in second half LBSU 45 - Pacific 44
Long Beach State looks to be the team wanting to pound the ball inside early with Phelps and Robinson both getting early scores.

Casper has to head to the bench with a bloody mouth, he got elbowed in the first half, but he returns shortly after being attended to by the coaching staff.

Pacific is missing the shots they were hitting in the first half and Long Beach is capitalizing.

GP3 earns his name sake by draining a three in the corner forcing a Tiger time out.

11:55 left in second half LBSU 50 - Pacific 51
Willard and Casper trade three's after the timeout. Eugene Phelps has to head to the bench with three fouls. Long Beach's defense has been able to force Pacific to use much of the shot clock, but the Tigers are still getting decent looks.

49ers called for offensive fouls on three straight posessions,  the latest called on Casper as he cut through the lane. We're under 12.

9:11 left in second half LBSU 51 - Pacific 59
Another full shot clock used by the Tigers, they missed their shot, but hustled to the offensive board and Smith worked his way to the line.

Back to back three points baskets by Willard lead to a Long Beach timeout. Willard has 27 points in the game.

4:24 left in second half LBSU 60 - Pacific 61
A Casper three cuts the Pacific lead to three, followed by several empty possessions for both teams. Pacific really winning the offensive board battle when it counts.

T.J. makes space for himself in the lane and scores an easy bucket, Pacific wants timeout.

1:51 left in second half LBSU 63 - Pacific 67
After a made free throw by Ware, Long Beach State puts on a press and gets a turnover after Plater goes to the ground and calls timeout.

54.6 second left LBSU 68 - Pacific 67
We got a good one on our hands here. After a missed free throw by Pacific Casper hits a jumper at the elbow to give the Beach the lead.

5.0 second left LBSU 70 - Pacific 69
Casper must really like that elevated jumper at the elbow, because he just hit it again after Pacific temporailry took the lead.

LONG BEACH WINS!!!!!!