'Niners in the News

Check out ESPNLA's feature on Junior Nadia Link's incredible journey back to college soccer! 

Check out the LA Time's feature on senior point guard Casper Ware and his preseason nod for the Wooden Award!

Check out Bob Keiser's piece in the Press Telegram about senior Caitlin Le doux's return to the court!

BWT Live Game Blog: Long Beach State vs. UCR 3/11/2011

Live updates from court side at the Honda Center (Anaheim, Calif.)

Pre-Game
We're back in Anaheim, with hopefully all the cramps worked out of Casper Ware's calf, for the No. 1 seed Long Beach State 49ers will look to return to the Big West Tournament Championship game for the second time in two years. Standing in their way are the UC Riverside Highlanders, who will face off with LBSU for the third time in the last 30 days.

The previous two meetings were won by Long Beach State, but both games Long Beach built early leads and then tried to coast to victory, which UCR would have none of. In a March 2 contest at UCR LB led by as much as 19, but an unresponsive defense from The Beach allowed the Highlanders to pull within one in the final minutes before the Niners were able to pull away with a 82 - 76 victory.

Yesterday, UCR defeated No. 2 seed Cal Poly in over time, the Highlanders were led by

Keys to the game
Play 40 minutes of 49er basketball. Long Beach came out way too anxious yesterday. And while that helped on the defensive end, it made running any semblance of offense difficult. With a victory under their belt, LBSU needs to come out ready to play today, but that aggression needs to be refined and controlled. Long Beach controlling the tempo is key. Especially after UCR comes off an emotional and exhausting overtime game, if LBSU can run on them it will be huge.

Rebounding.
In yesterday's quarterfinal game, it seemed Long Beach could not clear a rebound when it needed to most. UCI hit the offensive glass hard, and LBSU will need to severely limit those boards by the Highlanders. Getting a defensive rebound out quickly gives Ware, and Larry Anderson time to operate in the front court, and when a defense is not set, they are tough to contain.

Defensive intensity.
In the last meeting with UCR, Long Beach's defense was pretty lackadaisical. Instead of trying to get stops on the Highlanders, LBSU seemed pretty content to just try and score more points than their opponent, which ended up working, but is not the key to Long Beach success. Defensive stops and transition points are what the 49ers need to do to dominate this game. Would be interesting to see what would happen with a bit of full court press against the Highlanders, who average 14 turnovers per game.

20 minutes til tip
The Maniacs rode in on seven buses. And slowly they are all filling in, the one section relegated to the Long Beach Students can barely contain them all, and I know there are more coming. The crowd to this point is certainly in favor of the 49ers. Even the Carrot Top and Zach Galifianakis big heads made the trip.

Starting lineups

There are even more Maniacs here. Almost too many, there was some confusion which seats to occupy because the main student section is already full. The Long Beach students have really made this a home away from home. If the 49ers can get going early this crowd will get real loud.

Casper gives a pump up to the Maniacs and we're ready to rock.


UCR: Borum, Nioto, Martin, Bradshaw, Shearry
LBSU: Usual suspects; Ware, Plater, Anderson, Robinson, Phelps 

17:09 left in first half LBSU 9 - UCR 0
Greg Plater starts the game off with a triple in the corner.


LBSU defense forces a bad shot and Larry leads a fast break and-1.

The bench is jacked up. The students are jacked up. And after T.J. spins in the lane for an easy bucket, Jim Woolridge needs a timeout. 9-0 to start the game.

15:27 left in first half LBSU 14 - UCR 0
Maybe a little too anxious. Casper gets a steal but is called for an offensive foul.

But then T.J. makes a highlight reel bucket plus the foul. Robinson is fouled again heading to the rack and he'll shoot free throws after the media.

The energy on the Long Beach side of things is pretty incredible right now. We'll see how long LBSU can keep this shutout going.

11:22 left in first half LBSU 24 - UCR 10
UCR finally cracks the scoreboard with a three by Borum. And then Martin adds another three.

Martin gets a big dunk, but hangs on the rim, gets a technical and then has to be helped off the court. Talk about adding insult to injury...

In the 'Who has the yellowest shoes battle' Brandon Nevens may have one upped Larry Anderson tonight. Brandon may have wore out a few highlighters.

Plater hits his second three coming off a curl. And then another. Plater has nine early points, naturally all on threes.

What a spark Brandon Nevens is, he got a steal and breakaway layup, and then went for a steal and threw the ball off a UCR defender making it Long Beach ball after the break.

7:05 left in first half LBSU 26 - UCR 18
Casper picks up his second foul and has to head to the bench, not as big of a deal when you're already up 14. Long Beach just needs to play within themselves and they should be OK.

The camera man under our basket is getting abused, one ball landed right on top of his head, and then another just hit off his camera

UCR has cut it ten and now eight. And Monson wants timeout. The focus that there early for the Niners has dissipated a bit.

3:49 left in first half LBSU 31 - UCR 22
After the timeout, Ware checks back in and is fouled attacking the basket, sinking both free throws.

It was almost a blown defensive assignment by Plater, but it ended up being a steal for Greg, fast break and three point play for T.J. Robinson.

Half-time LBSU 40 - UCR 28
Wooldridge just got T'd up. He has a lot to be upset about, but I think his latest gripe was an offensive foul call. And Greg sinks both the free throws.

Borum drills another three, he leads the highlanders with 11.

After an airball by UCR, LBSU holds for the last shot, and Anderson drains a three for the corner and gives a salute to the Maniacs and we're at the half.

Half-time stats
For the second straight day, the free throw line is the big difference for Long Beach State. Riverside only shot two free throws. The Niners shot 17, connecting on 14.

Both teams end up shooting an identical 11-26 from the field (42.3 percent). Long Beach was 4-9 on threes, UCR 5-9.

Robinson and Plater each have eleven points to pace the 49ers. Long Beach has the edge on rebounds, with 18 total to UCR's 12. Seven of those board for LB were offensive.

Long Beach came out about as hot as possible, but then calmed down considerably, mostly trading baskets with UCR. That said, Long Beach is still up 12.

17:10 left in second half LBSU 45 - UCR 30
Nice give and go by Larry and Greg creates a seperation three for Plater. A steal and finish by Anderson and UCR wants timeout.

15:51 left in second half LBSU 50 - UCR 32
After an airball by the Highlanders, Cas hits a transition three, for his first shot from downtown. If you had told Long Beach fans Ware would only have seven points to this point, not many would have guessed The Beach would be up by 18. LBSU's balanced scoring really shining tonight.

11:31 left in second half LBSU 56 - UCR 36
Greg Plater has done a nice job locking up Borum, he had 13 first half points, and is yet to score in the second period.

Casper knifes through the defense and feeds Larry for a reverse layup. And that queues the 'Up By 20' chant by the Maniacs.

9:03 left in second half LBSU 56 - UCR 42
UCR is really being stiflied on defense, and they have been completely relegated to shooting outside jumpers.

Casper having an uncharacteristically rough night at the line, he's 4-8.

Those jumpers start to fall a bit more for UCR, they are on a 6-0 run and Coach Monson wants time.

6:24 left in second half LBSU 59 - UCR 49
Larry drills another three giving him 17 for the game.

A dunk by Brown and the lead is cut to 10.

3:52 left in second half LBSU 62 - UCR 51
Greg hits a big three in front of the bench to stop a UCR run.

Shearry fouls out after hitting Anderson on a runner. Under 4 minute media.

2:13 left in second half LBSU 64 - UCR 58
Nitoto misses a free throw, but UCR ends up getting the offensive rebound. The energy that Long Beach had early isn't there, and the highlanders cut the lead to eight. And now six. Monson calls time.

Pretty similar to what happened at Riverside a few weeks ago, Long Beach was up big and sort of took their foot off the gas pedal. They need a solid two minutes here to finish this game off.

1:32 left in second half LBSU 67 - UCR 60
Casper hits a three from the corner but is matched by a Riverside jumper.

58.4 seconds left in second half LBSU 69 - UCR 61
Ware sinks a pair of free throws and then pulls down a defensive board, forcing Riverside to begin fouling, but Larry misses the one and one, and then commits a foul on the other end. Riverside hits the first free throw and then calls timeout.

38 seconds left in second half LBSU 69 - UCR 63
LBSU not doing themselves any favors to ice this game by missing free throws, Phelps missed both.

And then Casper picks up a foul on the other end. Luckily Martin has missed his last three as well.

Now T.J. picks up a foul going for a rebound. Will this one ever end?

21.2 seconds left in second half LBSU 74 - UCR 63
Borum still can't crack the scoreboard in the second half, missing a jumper and then fouling Casper. Larry the latest to be fouled. This should just about do it.

FINAL LBSU 74 - UCR 63
The fans rise and cheer as Larry holds the ball to run the clock out. We'll see you tomorrow night in the championship game!

BWT Live Game Blog: Long Beach State vs. UCI 3/10/2011

Live updates from court side at the Honda Center (Anaheim, Calif.)

Pre-game
Well, Beach fans, here we go. For all intents and purposes, the 14-2 season that Long Beach State compiled over the last three months has been set aside, and though that success has earned them a shiny 'number 1' next to their name, they will still have to battle their way through the trenches if they want to cut down the nets in Anaheim and head to the Big Dance.

The first step toward that goal is a match up with the UC Irvine Anteaters, who, though they are the number eight seed, are one of two teams who beat the 49ers during the regular season, and were in fact the last team to beat Long Beach State. That game, Jan. 22 in Irvine, saw LBSU's defensive intensity fly out the window, and the 'Eaters' big three of Wise, Wilder and Moore score 66 of UCI's 86 points.

Since that game, Long Beach's defense has been on point, holding opponents to 61.3 points per game and a 40.4 shooting percentage. And defense is what the 49ers need to concentrate on to push their win streak to 10 games and keep their season going.

Keys to the game
Be ready to rock. Early game. Number 1 seed against the number 8 seed. Most likely a smaller crowd because of game time and day in the week. There are a lot of excuses as to why Long Beach State could come out flat. But they really can't afford to. Not that the player's don't know this, but one loss or slip up and the season is over, and they need to play 40 minutes of basketball with that intensity. The first time LBSU and UCI met, Long Beach had to over come a 22-7 deficit on the way to an 86-76 victory. There is no room for that kind of start in an elimination tournament. An early lead is pivotal for The Beach.


Lock down Wise. Eric Wise is a load in the lane for the 'Eaters. And Long Beach has to be careful when they double him, because many UCI players are spot up three point shooters. T.J. Robinson and Eugene Phelps need to play smart defense on Wise, and keep him off the offensive glass. Taking him out of an offensive flow early will be key for Long Beach, and that means active help from the guards as well disrupting his post presence. If Wise is contained, the Long Beach defense will be off to a good start.

Transition points. This directly correlates with defense, but Long Beach State is at its best when they are not only getting defensive stops, but forcing steals and turnovers and getting baskets in transition. When LBSU can get going on all cylinders, they are pretty tough to stop, and a lot of times, those runs will be made with very little in the half court. When Casper Ware is leading the charge, hitting pull up threes, and taking the ball to the rack, this team is going to be successful. The 49ers needs to get in that type of offensive flow to distance themselves from UCI.

5 minutes til tip
Crowd is starting to file in. The Maniacs rode in on three busses and are filling up a decent section on the far end away from where I am. Most of the Long Beach media is under the basket where the 49er bench is, so we'll have a good look at Long Beach defense in the first half, and offense in the second.

What an upgrade this venue is, very nice video board which looks like it will be showing replays. Both bands are fired up. This should be a good one.

Starting lineups:

UCI: Moore, Rembert, Starring, Losonsky, Wise
LBSU: Same lineup since day one: Ware, Plater, Anderson, Robinson, Phelps 

15:34 left in second half LBSU 2 - UCI 6
Irvine rips 5 early points, but Larry Anderson answers with a dunk in the lane.

Rembert has been aggressive attacking the lane early, but hasn't gotten much out of it.

Casper has taken a few quick threes but hasn't connected yet.

And Larry has just picked up his second personal foul. This is not quite the start Long Beach wanted.

12:26 left in first half LBSU 4 - UCI 13
Plater is fouled shooting a jumper and sinks both his shots at the line.

Game has a bit of a sluggish feel, neither team being successful on the offensive end. Long Beach finally turns up the defensive pressure a bit and forces a bad jumper at the end of the shot clock.

Again, Long Beach able to force a tough shot, with Eric Wise air balling a three, that's not his game. D coming around, but Long beach needs to put the ball in the net.

Moore drills a three after Long Beach doesn't get back on D. This start is eerily similar to when the two teams met at the Pyramid. Irvine is knocking down their shots and containing the drives of LBSU.

11:53 left in first half LBSU 7 - UCI 13
Larry Anderson is back in with his two fouls, and promptly drains a three. After Edis gets called for his second foul, we're at the under 12 media.

7:47 left in first half LBSU 15 - UCI 17
T.J. heads to the rack and is fouled, picking up the second on Wilder.

Darren Moore picks up his second foul, so he has to head to the bench as well.

The last three possessions T.J. has went hard to the rim and been fouled, he split his free throws the first two trips, and picks them both up on his third trip.

Well, if you can't make a shot, might as well head to the charity stripe to pick up your points. This time it's Casper Ware who is fouled and sinks both the freebies.

Just about everything UCI is doing is being called as a foul. Starring already has three personals.

A Nevens layup briefly tied the score at 15, but a putback by Simek gives UCI the lead again.

2:21 left in first half LBSU 27 - UCI 24
Long Beach has only made three field goal thus far, they are really surviving by some solid free throw shooting. Both teams have been called for a ton of fouls. It's at the least 18, and I think Long Beach has been in the double bonus for a while.

Phelps ends the field goal drought with a runner in the lane, Gene has been playing some solid defense on Wise.

And maybe Gene took the lid off, Casper just drained a three. And another.

Phelps just took a huge charge on Wise, with the 'Eater big man picking up his third foul in the first half.

3.3 second left LBSU 30 - UCI 29
Casper drilled another three, but Rembert answered with his own.

Long Beach holds for the last shot of the half, but Casper slipped on a pass from Plater and the ball sailed out of bounds. UCI calls timeout with 3.3 to go

Half-time LBSU 30 - 29
No miracle half-court shot and we're at the half.

UCI ends the half on a 5-0 run to pull within one point at half.

Half-time stats
Neither team could get much going offensively, Long Beach connected on only seven first half field goals, shooting only 31 percent. Irvine made nine field goals on 31 attempts, for a 29 percent first half mark. One factor that might be considered is that neither of these teams have shot in this gym, maybe that plus a bit of nervousness led to a sloppy half.

Long Beach had nine turnovers, something they will really need to limit in the second half.

LBSU really survived by converting at the line, they were 12-14 at the stripe. Those free throws were crucial when they were having difficulty putting the ball in the hoops, which was a majority of the half save for Casper's three point hot streak. Ware leads all scorers with 11, but he needed 11 shots to get those points.

14:58 left in second half LBSU 38 - UCI 37
After Wise is forced in to a turnover, Casper hits a transition three to start the second half.

With the amount of fouls Irvine racked up in the first half, Long Beach continues to attack the rim, Losonsky picks up his fourth foul.

Long Beach has put Casper on Darren Moore, and Ware is giving up a few inches on the bigger Irvine guard. Interesting to see how that match up shakes out.

12:19 left in second half LBSU 42 - UCI 46
UCI picks up three big offensive boards and eventually hits a three to take the lead.

Pace of the game has really picked up, with both teams trading baskets now.

Eric Wise with some nice moves early in the second half, and he makes sure the Long Beach bench knows it as she shoots a glare at the 49ers after pretty much every play.

10:35 left in second half LBSU 47 - UCI 46
Greg picks a good time to drain his first three, and after a stop on the defensive end, Edis feeds Larry for a nice layup.

UCI tries to slow down the tempo, but Long Beach ends up forcing a shot clock violation.

8:48 left in second half LBSU 47 - UCI 51
Irvine uses a few jumpers to go on a 5-0. Monson timeout.

6:46 left in second half LBSU 54 - UCI 57
Irvine is draining their threes this is really what Long Beach does not need.

Casper able to answer with a three of his own to stop the bleeding.

3:57 left in second half LBSU 62 - UCI 61
T.J. drives again and picks up Wise's fourth foul. Splitting the free throws.

Larry decides its go time and heads to straight to the hole, not sure anyone could defend that move.

Fouls becoming an issue for UCI, Wilder has four, Wise has four, Losonsky has four. Robinson again splits the free throws.

As fast as I can type, Losonsky fouls out.

Wise is back in and will shoot free throws after the media.

2:12 left in second half LBSU 67 - UCI 63
Ware hits a three, but then cramps up big time. Lin Chang and Mike Vantrimpont have to carry him off the court. Long Beach needs him back ASAP or sooner.

Wilder just fouled out. And Gene knocks down both free throws.

Greg with a clutch steal and gets fouled on the breakaway. UCI wants timeout.

1:20 left in second half LBSU 72 - UCI 68
Casper checks back in after Eric Wise hits a big and-1.

Just about every trip down the court is a foul, this time Rembert is fouled by Edis and heads to the line.

Gene goes hard to the rack and scores. This is getting serious here ladies and gents.

39.7 seconds left in second half LBSU 74 - UCI 72
Wise hits a jumper in the lane, and Casper answers. And then Wise hits another. Quick timeout by the Eaters.

30 seconds left LBSU 77 - UCI 72
Irvine hesitated to foul Phelps when they had the chance, he fed Casper and Cas fed Larry for the and-1

FINAL LBSU 79 - UCI 72
Larry with a HUGE STEAL and gets fouled sinking both shots. After a missed three and rebound Long Beach able to run the clock out.

Big West Tournament Prep

It's the day before the big test and the Black and Gold Insider is here to give you a crash course in Big West Tourney 101. Crack the notebooks, let's get this.

Basic information
I wasn't kidding about that 'crash course' line. The Big West Tournament (BWT) is the post-season tournament used by the Big West conference to determine who will receive an automatic bid to the 68 team NCAA Tournament. The BW tourney is held over three days at The Honda Center in Anaheim.

Format
With Long Beach State finishing in first place during the regular season, the 49ers have locked up the number one overall seed in the tournament. This year, the BWT returns to a traditional eight team format, with no teams receiving byes. Thus, the winning team will have to win three games over three days. Losing one game eliminates a team from the tournament.

With the number one seed, each round Long Beach will face off with the lowest remaining seed. The number one seed also gives LBSU game times that afford them the most time off in between games.

Schedule
Based on league results, the opening round match ups for tomorrow have already been determined. Long Beach State will face the No. 8 seed UC Irvine at Noon. For complete brackets, refer to the Big West's website

If Long Beach State wins on Thursday, their next game will be on Friday at 6:30 p.m. against the lowest remaining seed after the completion of the first round (televised on ESPNU)

If the Niners win on Friday, they will play in the championship game on Saturday at 5:00 p.m. (televised on ESPN2)

Student tickets
Students have two options for tickets to the game. The first is to sign up for the bus trips that will bring students directly to the Honda Center prior to each Long Beach State game. Bus riders will receive a game ticket, food and drink (while supplies lasts) and a tournament takeover shirt. Best of all, it's free! A $5 deposit is required at sign-up, but students will get their money back upon arrival at the bus. Bus' will depart promptly at the following times from in front of the Pyramid:

Thursday: 10:30 a.m.
Friday: 4:45 p.m.
Saturday: 3:00 p.m.

Students can sign up for the bus trips at the Pyramid Box Office and at the Beach Pride Center in the University Student Union.

Students who can't make the bus trips still have free tickets available to them, just bring your LBSU student ID card to the Honda Center box office.

Non-student tickets
All other tickets for the Big West Tournament can be purchased through Ticket Master

Here's a BWT preview video that Gazettes Sports put together

  

Big West Conference Basketball Awards Wrapup

The Long Beach State men's and women's basketball teams may need to take out some additional trophy space in the Pyramid to show off all the hardware they took home today as the Big West Conference announced their end of the season awards today.

Women's hoops
A sensational senior and freshman phenom of the LBSU women's basketball both captured accolades for the 49ers.

Courtney Jacob was named Best Hustle Player in the Big West Conference as well as being named second team All-Big West. Jacob averaged a team leading 14.4 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game along with winning back-to-back BW Player of the Week honors.

Brandi Henton was chosen as the Big West Freshman of the year, as she averaged 14.1 points and 4.9 rebounds per contest in Big West play. Henton is just the second player in LBSU history to be named BW Freshman of the year, and was also named to the Big West All-Freshmen team.

Men's hoops
LBSU men's basketball will be carrying the number one seed this week in to the Big West Conference tournament in Anaheim, and all five starters that will take the court for the 49ers were recognized by the Big West, with Casper Ware leading the charge earning Player of the Year honors as well as Defensive Player of the Year, the first time a player has ever won both of those awards.

Ware, a junior point guard, averaged 16.9 ppg, while handing out a season total of 141 assists and 53 steals, he was second on the team in 3-pointers made with 61. While leading the team in scoring, and running the offense, Ware was often also tasked with guarding the opponents best guard, and he and his squad turned in many strong defensive efforts, including holding Big West foes under 60 points seven different times.

Ware joins junior guard Larry Anderson as first-team All-Big West Selections. This marks the second time Anderson was named to the first-team. Anderson averaged 14.3 points and 6.0 rebounds, even more impressive considering he suffered a broken hand that sidelined him for several weeks.

T.J. Robinson was named second team All-Big West after averaging a double-double for the second consecutive year. Robinson finished with averages of 13.6 points and 10.1 rebounds per game.

Rounding out the all-conference selections were Eugene Phelps and Greg Plater, both selected BW Honorable Mention. Plater led the league in three pointers made with 85 3-pointers made on the season. Phelps averaged 10.2 points and 6.7 rebounds per game, and finished fifth in blocked shots.

And last, but certainly not least, head coach Dan Monson takes home his first Big West Coach of the Year Honor for leading the 49ers to a 20-10 record, including 14-2 in Big West Play.

Live Blog: Men's Basketball vs. UC Riverside 3/2/2011

Live updates from UC Riverside (Riverside, California)

Pre-Game

Welcome to March.  It's the regular season finale... the #1-seed is locked up ... the buzz is at an all-time high for this Long Beach State team... time to rest the starters and the legs heading into the tournament, right?  Wrong. 

"We don't want to go into that tournament with any lack of confidence or any lack of sharpness," said head Coach Dan Monson "So we're going to go to UC Riverside and play like we do every game."

Even though the 49ers have proven their strength by parading through the Big West schedule this season - other than two minor hiccups at CS Fullerton and UC Irvine in consecutive January games - tonight's game has plenty of implications. 

UC Riverside is one of three teams battling to capture the two final spots for next week's Big West Tournament in Anaheim at the Honda Center and there are many things at stake for both teams....

1) Long Beach State could potentially play UC Riverside in 8 days when the teams take the court in Anaheim for Round 1 (if UCR makes the show).  The Beach needs a solid game so it doesn't give the Highlanders ANY hope heading into that potential #1 vs. #8 match-up. 

2) RPI (courtesy of Tracy McDannald - Daily 49er) - The NCAA selection committee looks at a team's entire résumé — "quality" wins, "bad" losses, Ratings Percentage Index — when determining its seed for the 68-team NCAA Tournament.

RPI helps compare teams from different conferences using a formula that takes into account a team's winning percentage and strength of schedule.

Now, granted, the 49ers still have to win the conference tournament to receive an automatic bid into the Big Dance. But even the most meaningless of regular-season losses — see, Loyola Marymount in late November — could make a difference between a No. 15 seed and a No. 14 seed.

Should LBSU run the table between now and the Big West Tournament finals, that will give the team a 12-game winning streak heading into Selection Sunday and give the committee a reason to think a little.

And if Monson's track record of not settling means anything, then the fourth-year head coach could be looking at the big NCAA Tournament picture to put his team in the best position possible. After all, that is why he scheduled Top 25-caliber nonconference opponents the past two seasons.

To read Tracy's entire article on the implications of tonight's game, CLICK HERE. 

Keys to the game

Run.  Run.  Run.  Don't lose the edge.  The 49ers are peaking at the right time, and without putting the cart before the horse, need to continue to ride the style of play that got them to this finale with just two blemishes.  They can really send a message to the rest of the conference tonight by finishing in style.

Speaking of the Horse... Soon-to-be Big West Player of the Year, Casper Ware, has led this team all year long... scoring, distributing, leading.  The friendly guard needs to continue pushing the envelope and sharpening his team's game if they're going to be flawless for 3 days next week.  One game at a time.

Conference Awards Update... The all-conference performers and player of the year will be announced by the Big West on Monday... stay tuned for a list full of 49ers as Casper, LAX, TJ, Eugene and GP3 all look to reap the benefits of a solid regular season campaign.

Starting lineups
LBSU: no changes... we'll go with nicknames tonight in spirit of the regular season finale: The Friendly Guard, GP3, LAX, Double-Double, Young Eugene

UC Riverside: Javon Borum, Kareem Nitoto, Phil Martin, Kevin Bradshaw, BJ Shearry

Game Note: Long Beach State fans outnumber UC Riverside fans thanks to a busload of Maniacs who made the trip... pro-49er crowd tonight! 

Game Note... again: The UC Riverside sound system continues to play 'Black & Yellow' during warm-ups... should make our guys feel right at home.  Somebody at UCR wasn't paying attention to the song choice...

15:52 left in the 1st Half... LBSU leads 8-5
Treys by Larry and Phelps give the Beach an early lead.

7:42 left in the 1st Half... LBSU leads 32-16Greg Plater is playing on fire... he's torched the net on 3 of 4 treys, including 3 from the charity stripe after being fouled from beyond the arc.  TJ is pounding the glass as the 49ers are winning the battle on the boards in dominating fashion.  Casper hasn't scored a basket yet and the 49ers have opened up a commanding lead.

Not so much luck for Phelps from beyond the arc after his first successful trey... Coach Monson called a timeout to give Gene an earfull after two attempts that weren't near as glorious.

Halftime... LBSU leads 44-35
It was an ugly final 7 minutes for the 49ers as the Highlanders used some shooting from 3-point land to climb back within 9.  Greg Plater was the star of the 1st half for LBSU with the hot hand from outside.  Plater leads all scorers with 15 points on 4-5 shooting from three-point land.  TJ is already approaching a double-double with 9 points, 7 rebounds.  Larry Anderson has 6 after spending 9 minutes on the bench in the first half due to foul trouble. 

LBSU is 2-7 from the charity stripe after a perfect 9-9 start.  They shot 53% from beyond the arc, but only 41% from the field. 

UC Riverside has not led. 

16:42 left in the 2nd Half... LBSU leads 54-39
UCR starts the 2nd half in a 2-3 zone defense to try and slow down Greg Plater from downtown... so far so good - Plater is 0-2 from three-point land.  TJ converts a traditional 3-point play with a bucket AND THE FOUL to start the half. 

Right on cue... as I type... Plater drills another from downtown.  18 points total from GP3.

12:43 left in the 2nd Half... LBSU leads 58-50
LBSU has caught a case of the turnovers... resulting in several UCR transition dunks, a three and one more thunderous slam.  Time for someone to take this game over and stop the bleeding...

7:41 left in the 2nd Half... LBSU leads 65-60
...still bleeding.  The Highlanders have made this a game... once down 19 in the first half, the 49er lead has been cut to one hand - five.  This one should go down to the wire.

6:09 left in the 2nd Half... LBSU 67-64
Plater slips and goes down ... HARD.  Scary moment for the 49ers as the game is stopped.  This is one of many times that players have slipped on the court here tonight at the Student Recreation Center at UCR... the UCR radio guy just said that 'wetness on the floor has been a problem at this facility the past few weeks...'

...with a comment like that... how about we FIX THE WETNESS???

3:04 left in the 2nd Half... LBSU 72-71
Quick three in the corner for UCR as the shot clock winds down cuts the LBSU lead to 1.  Barnburner. 

1:27 left in the 2nd Half... LBSU 76-71
Foul trouble for the 49ers... 4 for LAX... 3 for TJ... 3 for Casper... 3 for Edis.  This game will be won or lost at the free throw line.  Senior leader Plater hits a running bank shot in the lane to put LBSU up 5!  Senior leader!!

49ERS WIN 82-76... 14-2 in conference this year... #1 seed in Big West Tournament
Welcome to March.... MADNESS!!

49ERS win and cap off a LONG conference season with an old-fashioned slugfest against a team that has given them fits the past few seasons.  The win secures a regular season sweep against the Highlanders.  Senior leadership - Greg Plater - reared its head and eeked it out.

The toll of a long conference season certainly showed on the 49ers tonight... 8 days off to prepare for the Big West Tournament, and possibly another match-up with UC Riverside, looks pretty good right now.

14-2 is a big accomplishment and tonight's grind-it-out win showed why 'team' basketball can overcome adversity late in games...
Should be a fun March folks!!  Lace 'em up... it's tourney time!!

See you at Honda Center next Thursday at noon.  Time to punch our ticket and dance.

Live Blog: Men's Basketball vs. UCSB 2/26/11

Live updates from court side at the Pyramid

Pre-Game

Yep, in our white tees. Literally. It's whiteout night tonight in the Pyramid and as Jerramy King puts on a nice shooting display for the security and staff working behind the scenes to make tonight's ESPN2 game possible, we're about an hour and twenty minutes until Long Beach State and UC Santa Barbara get it on in the final home game for the Niners.

It seems like it was years ago when the Gauchos and 49ers first squared off in both team's first Big West Conference game in late December. That game, marked by the return of Larry Anderson from a broken hand, was dominated by Long Beach, eventually leading to a 16 point road victory, and quite possibly serving as the catalyst Long Beach State needed to get their season going. The Niners have only lost twice since that game, and are currently riding a seven game win streak, the last of which clinched the Big West Regular Season championship for Long Beach.

Keys to the game

Keep the energy going. Last game, for obvious reasons, was the most amped I have seen the team all year. And now that the Niners have clinched the 1st seed for the Big West Tourney, it will be interesting to see how the team responds with a game that doesn't have any real merit on the team's chances to go dancing in March. Still, Long Beach has plenty to play for, namely finishing an undefeated conference record at home, sending out the three seniors with one last home win, and exacting a little revenge on the Gauchos for what happened last year.

Lock down the Dynamic Duo. Yes, USCB do have quite a duo in Orlando Johnson (avg. 22.9 pts per game in BW play) and James Nunnally (avg. 14.6 pts per game in BW play) but Long Beach did quite a job on limiting the success of the two the last time the teams met, really frustrating both of the players, especially Nunnally who ended up hanging out mostly around the perimeter instead of driving to the goal.

Getting the two out of their rhythm early will be a huge key for LB.

Get it done for B. Nev, T. Wil, and GP3. Each Long Beach State senior has had a unique story to get here to this point. Brandon Nevens had to be granted a sixth year of eligibility to even play this year. Tristan bounced around juco ball, and fought injury to be able to suit up this year. And Plater, Coach Monson's first recruit after coming to LBSU had to play out of position for his first year, see his playtime cut the next year, develop as a sixth man as a junior and finally step back in to the starting role his senior year. It will be a fitting end to their Walter Pyramid playing days to go out with wins.

25 minutes til tip
As Dave Fleming and Miles Simon get set for their ESPN2 broadcast, the crowd continues to file in here on whiteout night. The Long Beach players even have special white shoes for the game tonight, though I don't think my hopes for an all white suit from Coach Monson will pan out. I'll keep you posted.

Five minutes til tip
Student section is awfully packed. Parents, look for your kids on ESPN2!

Starting lineups

LBSU, no changes: Ware, Plater, Anderson, Robinson, Phelps

UCSB: Weiner, Joyner, Johnson, Nunnally, Serna

17:22 left in first half LBSU 8 - UCSB 7
Serna puts up two early baskets for the Gauchos.

UCSB running their customary match-up zone.

A tipped ball and steal by Long Beach State leads to a monster jam by Larry Anderson. Bob Williams wants to prevent the crowd getting in to the game best he can and calls time.

10:29 left in first half LBSU 21 - UCSB 18
Johnson answers with a big dunk of his own after a missed defensive switch by LB.

After a media timeout, the 7 foot 3 Greg Somogyi checks in, he will make it tough for the undersized Niners to get to the rim uncontested.

Casper is fouled shooting a three and sinks all three of the free throws.

Johnson drains a three for UCSB. He is not the player Long Beach wants to get in a good flow early.

Really unnecessary turnovers taking the ball out of Long Beach's hands. They already have six in the game.

T.J. not impressed by the SB big man, moving to the rack for a nice layin.

Just when it looks like UCSB is gaining some momentum, Casper banks in a three, hits a jumper from the baseline, and then drains another three.

6:56 left in first half LBSU 21 - UCSB 20
Coach Monson not satisfied with the offensive flow of Long Beach's game so he calls time.

3:54 left in first half LBSU 24 - UCSB 24
UCSB really active on the offensive glass, Serna and Pastorek fight until they are able to score.

Larry has to head to the bench with two fouls.

Casper drives to the hoop and is fouled, he will shoot free throws after the break. Ware already has 14 points.

11 turnovers already for Long Beach.

Half-time LBSU 32 - UCSB 29
Foul trouble for Edis has seen early minutes by Kyle Richardson and now Lin Chang.

Nunnally drains a three for UCSB to cut the deficit to three.

Long Beach had a few chances to score on their final possession, but couldn't convert. And we're at the half.

Half-time stats
Not a great offensive half by either team. Long Beach shot only 34.5 perfect, and the Gauchos didn't fair much better at 35.3.

Both teams only connected on three 3-pt shots. Long Beach State did make it to the line ten times, making nine of them (Ware accounted for seven of the makes).

Turnovers are the glaring stat for Long Beach, with 11 already, though they did force seven by UCSB.

The paint has been owned thus far by the Guachos, outscoring the Niners 18-10. LBSU needs to crack the match-up zone that UCSB is running, get their bigs touches in the paint and limit offesnive boards by Santa Barbara.

17:58 left in second half LBSU 40 - UCSB 29
Dribble penetration and kick outs are the name of the game so far for Long Beach, and Greg has drilled two threes and gives a pump up to the Maniacs.

Larry cuts to the hole and finishes a pretty layup and Coach Williams has seen enough and calls time. Long Beach on an 8-0 run to start the half. This is the kind of start Long Beach needed to get this crowd going.

11:45 left in second half LBSU 48 - UCSB 40
USCB has tried the alley oop to Somogyi about three different times and it hasn't worked yet. Not sure if they are trying to get on Sports Center or what. Long Beach will take it.

Johnson really looking for his shot and you can tell he is starting to feel it.

Larry had a wicked block on OJ, but Edis got T'd up for talking after the play. Johnson split the free throws.

Lot about No. 33 for the Guachos, but he has been everywhere in the second half. Orlando Johnson picks up his fourth foul going for a rebound, sending us to a media timeout.

8:05 left in second half LBSU 51 - UCSB 45
Long Beach already in the bonus, need to capitalize with the free throws.

Johnson comes back with his four fouls. After Casper splits his free throws, Monson calls timeout to settle the troops.

3:58 left in second half LBSU 63 - UCSB 49
Larry brings the crowd to its feet with another big dunk.

T.J. curls for a jumper to push the lead to ten.

Casper heads to the rack and is fouled by Orlando Johnson, who has just fouled out. Big blow for the Gauchos as he was the only UCSB player in double figures.

Here we go. Larry Anderson rejects the 7 foot 3 Somogyi on one end and then drives right at him, getting the bucket and the foul. Long Beach on a 12-0 run.

1 minute left in second LBSU 71 - UCSB 51
The seniors Nevens and Wilson enter the game to a nice ovation from the crowd.

And now the rest of the bench is being emptied.

FINAL LBSU 71 - UCSB 53
Long Beach defense holds Gauchos to only 24 second half points.

Live Blog: Men's Basketball vs. Cal Poly 2/24/11

 

Live updates from court side at the Pyramid

Pre-Game

Tonight is the night that 49er fans have been waiting for. The night that was envisioned after Dan Monson was brought on board to right the LBSU basketball ship. The night that Long Beach State seemed so poised for after signing "The Big Four" of Ware, Anderson, Robinson and Phelps. Though there have been a few speed bumps along the way, tonight is the night that Long Beach State can seal the deal on their first Big West Regular Season Championship since the 2006-07 season. Fittingly, standing in their way are the second place Cal Poly Mustangs, the only team that can mathematically catch the 49ers. 

The Mustangs represent the antithesis to LBSU's offensive philosophy. Long Beach leads the conference at 75.8 points per game. Cal Poly averages a league low 60.5. But offense isn't Cal Poly's focus, and with their 9-4 league record it is no surprise that they are tops in scoring defense at only 56.6 per contest.

When these opposites clashed early in league play, it was LBSU's offense that prevailed, using a 29-8 run over the final 1:45 of the first half and first 6:31 in the second half to build a 49-26 lead that The Beach never looked back from, finishing with a 69 - 53 victory in San Luis Obispo. 

Keys to the game.

Match defensive intensity. The Niners are no defensive slouches themselves, ranking fourth in the conference and allowing only 66.8 point per game. And though Long Beach's offensive philosophy is to play at an uptempo speed, those uptempo opportunities are mostly going to happen when the defense is getting stops and turnovers. The players and coaches have said it numerous times, but defense leads to offense for this group and if LB can prevent Cal Poly from getting settled in their defense, that is when the Mustangs are most vulnerable.

Attack the rim. CP's three point defense is allowing opponents to hit at an astonishingly low 26.6 clip. Cal Poly's length on the perimeter clearly causes problems for long range shooters, Long Beach shot only 2-13 the last time the two teams faced off. LB State shouldn't completely disband their outside shots, but with the CP defense stretching out so far to protect the perimeter, it means driving lanes for the quicker Long Beach players. Casper Ware and Larry Anderson especially need to attack the bucket and get to the foul line for easy points.

Control your destiny. Long Beach State is in a great spot. A win and you're in situation, at home, for the regular season conference title. The 49ers would be wise to capitalize on the raucous crowd that will be present, get off to an early lead and force the Mustangs to try and run (no pun intended) with the quicker 49ers. If Long Beach can do that, they will control their own destiny and most likely end the night on a ladder with scissors in their hands cutting down the nets in the Walter Pyramid.

16 minutes til tip

Student section again getting packed to the brim. Rest of the crowd starting to file in. Both teams seem pretty focused.

Starting lineups

Cal Poly Mustangs: O'Brien, Love, Lewis, Hanson, Donahue

Yet again, no changes for the home team: Ware, Plater, Anderson, Robinson, Phelps

Tip-off

Long Beach State players are JACKED UP. Hopefully they can harness their energy and start the half off on a run.

17:17 left in first half LBSU 6 - CP 8

Eugene Phelps takes a charge from Lewis and the bench loves it. I haven't seen this much energy from them all year. Casper has drained two threes to start the game.

Lewis has answered with two three's of his own. He is one player that Long Beach really doesn't want to let get going.

14:34 left in first half LBSU 12 - CP 12

Poly in a 2-3 zone. Which Cas seems content to bomb from outside as he drills another three. He has scored all the points for Long Beach thus far.

Plater drains a three of his own. Maybe the Niners heard a little too much about that nation leading three point defense percentage.

11:55 left in first half LBSU 18 - CP 17

Casper off to a hot start with 11 points. Long Beach settling a bit too much for jumpers. When it goes in, it's all good, but contested shots by T.J. and Wilson are not what this offense is predicated on.

7:26 left in first half LBSU 23 - CP 19

Turnovers give CP a few run outs for easy buckets and the game is tied up.

Casper hitting those three's early has really forced Poly to bite on his pump fake, allowing him to drive and find T.J. in the paint.

He pump fakes again, and this time heads to the hole for a pretty layup. Ware has 13 of Long Beach State's 23 points.

3:48 left in first half LBSU 26 - CP 22

With so many scorers on the floor for Long Beach, The Beach can spread a defense pretty thin, Poly left Brandon Nevens wide open for a three and he calmly nailed it.

Turnovers really limiting the Niners offense, they already have eight in the half.

48.9 seconds left in first half LBSU 31 - CP 28

Casper races down the court for a monster block on the defensive end, he pinned it against the backboard like you see LeBron do on Sports Center. 

After another Poly turnover Cas feeds Larry for a thunderous dunk.

Three point shooting by the Mustangs keeping this a back and forth affair.

Halftime LBSU 31 - CP 28

Cal Poly keeps the ball for the entire final 48 seconds on an offensive board, but fails to convert either of their shots and we're at the half.

Halftime stats

Long Beach holding Cal Poly to a 35 field goal percentage, but the Mustangs have converted on 6-12 three's. Perimeter game is really all Cal Poly has going for them, they have only made five shots inside the arc, and have not even made it to the charity stripe.

Long Beach is shooting 50 percent for the half, and have connected on 5-13 beyond the arc. (38.5 percent) The Niners made it to the line four times, but only converted two.

Poly winning the offensive board battle 7-3, allowing them to limit Niner possessions. That and Long Beach's 9 turnovers.

LBSU needs to limit Cal Poly offensive boards and and close out on open shooters. If Long Beach can get an offensive flow early in the half, they should be in good shape.

15:45 left in second half LBSU 35 - CP 36

A missed assignment on defense and a turnover are how Long Beach opens the half. They need some intensity to get a run going.

Long Beach creating turnovers, but can't score. Cal Poly converts on a point blank shot and take the lead in to the media.

12:08 left in second half LBSU 39 - CP 38

The pace right now is right up Cal Poly's alley with neither team in an offensive flow or putting many points on the board this half.

T.J. plays some tight D on Shawn Lewis as the shot clocks winds down leading a 3-2 break for The Beach with Robinson converting on a layup. Timeout Coach Callero.

9:38 left in second half LBSU 44 - CP 43

Long Beach trying to use a press to quicken the pace of the game, but the Mustangs still content to use the entire shot clock and U'u (not a typo) hits a jumper.

Larry moves in the paint and gets the basket and the foul but can't convert the free throw.

Casper can feel the Mustangs gaining a little momentum after an offensive board and three, so he drains a three of his own, giving him 20 points in the game.

7:46 left in second half 44 - 43

Long Beach not doing themselves any favors at the line, with Phelps the latest to miss a pair from the stripe.

Long Beach's offense is really struggling, shooting only 25 percent in the half. These are the kind of grind 'em out games that Cal Poly has forced their opponents in all year.

3:29 left in second half LBSU 51 - CP 50

Again, Larry can't convert on a three point play. Any Long Beach drive is really getting harassed in the lane, and few fouls are being called.

Casper again responds to a Cal Poly lead with a three.

1:33 left in second half LBSU 56 - CP 51

Greg giving Long Beach some energy with intense defense a made three.

Long Beach has a tiny slice of breathing room and a WHOLE LOT of energy. Up by five with 1:33 to go.

58.5 seconds left in second half LBSU 56 - CP 53

Cas went for a steal and ended up fouling Donahue, sending him to the line where he made both his shots.

23.9 left in second half LBSU 58 - CP 53

It was a missed three by Greg but it might as well have been a pass to Larry as he collects the airball and puts in a putback.

4.1 seconds left in second half LBSU 59 - CP 55

Plater makes the smart play and heads deep on an inbounds play, getting intentionally fouled, he splits his free throws, and then Casper fouled on the next play. Monson calls time before he heads to the line.

BIG WEST CHAMPS!

Live Blog: Men's Basketball vs. Montana 2/19/11

 

Live updates from court side at the Pyramid

Pre-Game

Ahh huh you know what it is BracketBuster - sorry that Black and Yellow song was blaring through the Pyramid as the student doors opened and I couldn't resist.

But there is some truth to the statement. It is BracketBuster time. As a couple of LBSU opponents from earlier in the year battle on ESPN right now (Utah State at St. Mary's) ESPN2 gets ready to cap off their Mid-Major-a-thon with tonight's game of the Montana Griz vs. your Long Beach State 49ers.

Montana currently leads the Big Sky Conference with a record of 19-7 and boasts wins over UCLA and Oregon State on their resume. We know the story with Long Beach State, currently in first place in the Big West, currently on a five game winning streak and haven't lost in the Pyramid since 2010.

Keys to the game

Contain their bigs. It doesn't take too much analysis to see one of the biggest keys for the Niners will be to contain Montana's two bigs. The Griz run two big men Derek Selvig at 7 foot and Brian Qvale at 6'11. Selvig, though an inch taller, prefers to play the perimeter and is actually the second leading three point shooter on the team. Qvale is more of a traditional banger. Their size leads to a lot of blocked shots, so LBSU will have to be aware of shot changers in the lane as well as the outside shot.

Control the tempo. Long Beach State wants to run. Montana doesn't. Simple as that. The 49ers are starting to amass some impressive offensive team statistics, and while offensively the Griz don't stand out, their defense is outstanding. Thus, the team that can dictate the tempo will be able to get their opposition out of their comfort zone. Coach Monson compared Montana to Pacific, a well coaches and methodical team. And we all know how the games against Pacific have gone this year, right down to the wire.

Protect home court. LBSU has a golden opportunity tonight to not only improve their RPI, but to show a National TV audience a high brand of Mid-Major basketball. The students are already packing the student section, and if the rain doesn't drive people away, a decent crowd should be in the works tonight. The Long Beach State players always feed off the crowd, and if they can keep the fans in it early, home court advantage can really take over.

20 minutes til tip

Students are really filing in, student section has been starting to get sardine like for about an hour. Montana has a good amount of fans on hand, but considering they live in Montana, this is quite the vacation for them.

Superfan is in the building, it's not a question of if, but when, as far as his patented dance (sans t-shirt) will go down.

Some creative signs in the crowd so far, even the court kids got a shout out from the Maniacs. I'll try and keep track of some of the better ESPN acronym signs that the students have brought.

Starting lineups

LBSU: No changes for the home team Ware, Plater, Anderson, Robinson, Phelps

Montana: Cherry, Stockton, Steward, Selvig, Qvale

17:01 left in first half LBSU 10 - Mont. 2

Defense by Long Beach is really active in the first couple of possessions collapsing on the Griz big men.

The intensity is certainly back in the Pyramid ladies and gents. Some beautiful passing inside and out leads to a three by Cas and active hands leads to a run out by Larry Anderson and the foul. Griz want timeout.

14:46 left in first half LBSU 14 - Mont. 4

Casper will shoot a free throw after the meida after he went coast to coast for a nice layup.

11:55 left in first half LBSU 19 - Mont. 8

Long Beach showing a press that Montana has had mixed results breaking. It once led to a turnover. Other times the Griz have got settled in their offense. Which is methodical as advertised.

Plater hits a catch and shoot three of an in bounds play.

Casper really is a blur when flying down the court, the defense just can't get settled and they end up sending Phelps to the line where he splits his free throws.

A male cheer leader almost did a backflip in to the team, Starkey had a good boxout.

5:31 left in first half LBSU 25 - Mont. 17

Some close fouls going against LBSU sending Montana to the line. Another one comes as Phelps bumps Steward after making a three. He completes the rare four point play.

Ware picks up his second foul going for a defensive board and has to head to the bench.

Both teams look a little gassed. Media timeout after a foul on Edis. Five on the floor right now Plater, Anderson, Nevens, T.J., Edis

In crowd watching news, Superfan has removed his shirt. Everyone remain calm.

3:59 left in first half LBSU 27 - Mont. 18

That's got to be about the fourth airball for Montana, this time Cherry had to force a shot up as the shot clock expired. Media time outs were pretty close together.

Superfan has his shirt back on.

12.8 left in first half LBSU 36 - Mont. 24

Cherry just airballed again on a floater but it landed right in the lap of Ward of Montana who gets to the free throw line for two points.

Despite the Griz bigs, Long Beach has been active around the rim, this time T.J. gets a nice tip-in.

T.J. picks up Edis after two missed free throws, getting an offensive board and bucket.

Nevens makes his presence felt coming out of no where for an offensive rebound and easy basket and then takes a charge on the defensive end. Long Beach ball with 12.8 seconds to go.

Half time LBSU 36 - Mont. 24

No one for the Niners could find open space and T.J. has to jack a desperation three that rims out. Nice half for The Beach. They picked their spots to run, and weathered the storm with Cas on the bench.

The Montana bigs have had a few open shots, but LBSU doing well to double the post players when they have the ball in deep, but also aren't allowing anyone to torch the nets from outside. Good defensive awareness and switching.

Crowd is in to it. They're even cheering the youth basketball halftime game.

14:33 left in second half LBSU 47 - Mont. 37

A couple of bobbled balls lead to turnovers and layups for Montana.

Casper has a had enough so he decides to drive to the rim twice and gets two lay ins.

Montana having more success on the offensive end this half, but Long Beach is matching their buckets.

First time a Long Beach shot has noticeably been changed for fear of being blocked, as T.J. had to put an awful lot of height on a floater, and he couldn't convert.

11:45 left in second half LBSU 50 - Mont. 38

Long Beach can't seem to do anything on either end without being called for a foul, Phelps has to head to the bench with his third foul.

Larry hits a three from the top of the arc pushing the lead back to twelve.

Tight D by LBSU leads to another Griz shot clock violation.

3,368 in attendance tonight.

8:28 left in second half LBSU 52 - Mont. 42

Edis in a battle with Griz big man Qvale, and though the Montana player has 13 points, Edis doing well to limit his touches.

After another close call goes against Long Beach, this time a blocking call against Casper, Montana calls timeout. Ten point game.

5:36 left in second half LBSU 60 - Mont. 46

Long Beach's press forces a Cherry turnover and leads Larry to the line for two.

Phelps hits a jumper at the elbow and Coach Tinkle for Montana has seen enough. Timeout Griz.

3:56 left in second half LBSU 64 - Mont. 48

Phelps is having him self a game, he cleans up a miss for two more points. He leads The Beach with 17. And now 19 after he spins in the lane for a point blank shot.

T.J. fouled on his way to the hoop, he'll shoot after the four minute media timeout.

1:25 left in second half LBSU 68 - Mont. 50

Larry Anderson cuts to the tin makes the runner and the foul. Long Beach leads by 20.

Might be my favorite part of the game: Starkey time.

Sean is joined by Chang, Jackson, Vantimpont, and King.

FINAL

LBSU 74 - Mont. 56

Live Blog: Men's Basketball vs. UC Riverside 2/16/11

Live updates from court side at the Pyramid

Pre-game

To quote a local videographer who's name happens to be two letters long, "What Up Long Beach?" It's Wednesday night and here we go again with Big West hoops action from the Pyramid. In what is a bit of a scheduling anomaly, Long Beach is facing off with the UC Riverside Highlanders for the first time this year, despite having already completed home and away series with five other teams in the conference.

The Highlanders come in with a record of 4-7 in Big West play while LBSU is still tops in the league at 10-2. Long Beach is coming off back to back road wins at UC Davis and at Cal State Northridge this past week, while UCR lost last week against Cal Poly and UCSB.

The Highlanders have over gone a major overhaul since last year, in fact Javon Borum, UCR's leading scorer at 14.1 pts per game, is the only player on the UCR roster that returns from last year.

Keys to the game

Control the ball. One are that continues to plague the Niners is turnovers, LBSU ranks seventh in the conference in turnover margin. And not surprisingly, in UCR's four conference wins, they have been able to control the turnover battle. Long Beach needs to take care of the ball tonight and get shots up on every possession. Which leads me to my next point.

Clean up the glass. When the 49ers are putting up shots more frequently than they turn the ball over, good things happen. Not only because they shoot one of the better percentages from the floor, but also because LBSU is tops in the league in offensive rebounding percentage, grabbing 34.8 percent of their misses on the offensive glass. Overall, LB State has proved to be the best rebounding team in the league, averaging 6.4 more boards than their opponent.

Go Cas Go. On LBSU's current four game winning streak, Ware is averaging 21.2 points per game. The point guard has found his three point stroke, he is able to get to the tin at will, and he still leads the league in assists despite all this scoring. Once he gets going, he really can't be stopped. Look for him to try and get his teammates involved early and look for his spots to be aggressive. UCR can't stop Casper, they can only hope to contain him.

LBSU starting five
No changes for the home team, Plater, Anderson, Ware, Phelps, Robinson

UCR Starting five
Guards: Borum, Nitoto, Martin Forwards: Berry, Bradshaw

18:53 left in first half LBSU 6 - UCR 0
Highlanders might not be aware the game started, but Long Beach already off to a 6 - 0 start forcing a UCR timeout

15:11 left in first half LBSU 9 - UCR 8
UCR looking to attack the paint after the timeout, no made field goals so far, but three points off free throws.

Riverside starts in a 2-3 zone, which Casper attempts to bust with a three pointer, he missed the shot, but Phelps had a nice tip in.

11:34 left in first half LBSU 20 - UCR 11
Borum had something to say to the Long Beach bench after knocking down a three which the coaching staff didn't appreciate.

Casper feeds Tristan Wilson on the break for an and-1, which he'll shoot after the media timeout.

9:31 left in first half LBSU 27 - UCR 15
Long Beach getting some good production from its bench, with both Wilson and Edis scoring on put backs. Those tip-ins, plus a Ware three pointer forces UCR to take a timeout.

3:00 left in first half LBSU 41 - UCR 20
Phelps picks up his second foul heading to the bench, replaced by Edis.

Nice ball movement by Long Beach, a few shooters passed up ok looks to eventually find Robinson in the post. T.J. picks up his second foul, subbing Kyle Richardson in to the game.

It's about that time. Cas knocks down back to back threes and all of a sudden Long Beach is up by 21.

14 - 5 run for The Beach.

Halftime LBSU 43 - UCR 24
With the Long Beach bigs in foul trouble, 49ers having a difficult time rebounding the ball, giving UCR extra possessions.

Larry is active around the rim and gets a put back with 7.1 seconds left.

Defense doesn't allow a Highlander shot and we're at the half

17:48 left in second half LBSU 45 - UCR 29
Long Beach looks a little sleepy on both ends of the floor to start the half. They need a spark of energy if they want to keep their big lead. Despite T.J. hitting a baseline jumper, Monson wants a timeout to fire up his troops.

14:52 left in second half LBSU 49 - UCR 35
And maybe that spark will be Casper Ware as he hits another three. Coach Woolridge for UCR thinks so as he calles a quick timeout after the three pointer.

Still a sluggish look for the 49ers, a few missed passes on the interior and blown switches on D lead to easy buckets for UCR.

11:45 left in second half LBSU 49 - UCR 37
Looks like the guys are just moving a gear slower this half, LB has only scored 6 points in the half.

7:44 left in second half LBSU 56 - UCR 42
Long Beach State seemed to be on a runout in the first half every possession, but now the game has slowed to a crawl and is much more of a grind it out kind of affair. It seems like a much closer game because the teams are mostly trading baskets, and misses, but you look at the scoreboard and Long Beach State still leads by 14.

1:22 left in second half LBSU 66 - UCR 53
It's Starkey time

FINAL
LBSU 68 - UCR 55

Live Blog: Men's Basketball vs. CS Northridge 2/12/11

Live updates from Cal State Northridge (Northridge, California)

Pre-game...

Are you ready?  #1 Long Beach State vs. #2 Cal State Northridge.  The two top teams in the Big West Conference take center stage tonight.  Momentum is the theme tonight... the 49ers seek their fourth consecutive win, while the Matadors havewon six of their last eight games. 

A win tonight would bring LBSU closer to the elusive regular season title that has skirted Coach Monson's squad each of the past two seasons (08-09, lost on a buzzer-beater at UCSB on the final game of the regular season... 09-10, failed to lock up the regular season title after being picked as the preseason #1 team).

LBSU holds a 29-20 advantage over CSUN in the all-time series and have won three consecutive games over the Matadors including an 85-71 decision earlier this year (1/5/11) at the Pyramid.  Both teams shoot .458 from the floor, second-best in the league, so it should be an interesting match-up. 

Lace 'em up folks... should be an entertaining one tonight.

Starting Five for Us...

Phelps, Plater, Anderson, Robinson and the Ghost with the Most... Casper

Starting Five for Them...

Daniel, McLemore, and then the sound went out in the arena.

Keys to the Game...

The 49ers need to match the intensity of the Matadors early.  This is the biggest home game for CSUN this season and Coach Braswell will have his troops ready to roll in the all-important Big West match-up. 

Let's keep the March towards March going!  The stretch run continues...

Nice touch...orrr not really...This place is a concrete jungle... seats are half-empty for CSUN's biggest game of the season.... the mascot has the face of, well, you just need to see it.  Still should be fun, but this rival's CS Fullerton's high school gym.

Perfect example:  The public address system cut out during the announcement of the starting line-ups, delaying the start of the game and not allowing the Northridge starting five to be introduced. 

15:40 left in the 1st Half... CSUN leads 6-5
Sloppy start to the game for both teams with some questionable calls by the officials.  Casper Ware.  Coach Monson pulled GP3 for not getting on the floor for a loose ball before putting him right back in.  Casper is fighting a sickness, so he's been in and out of the lineup.

7:50 left in the 1st Half... LBSU leads 19-11
14-5 run for the 49ers... Greg Plater with some key baskets in the stretch... LBSU is turning up the intensity on the boards.

3:58 left in the 1st Half... LBSU leads 22-17
Ware picks up his second personal foul on a ticky tack call... the officials are calling EVERYTHING.  Not much offense, but LBSU is holding its own on the boards, which is the difference right now

Halftime... LBSU leads  32-27
Two consecutive CSUN three-pointers tied the score at 27-27 with 1:10 remaining, prompting a 30-second TO by the 49ers, but Casper straightened out the scoring with a 3-pointer and dribble-drive at the buzzer to close out the half.

Halftime Stats....

Plater - 11 points
Ware - 9 points (just 12 minutes)
Anderson - 7 points

15:25 left in the 2nd Half... LBSU leads 42-37
Casper Ware picks up his fourth foul on a questionable offensive foul in the lane, leading to a seat on the bench.  3 of Casper's four fouls have been questionable and the officials continue their first half trend of blowing the whistle when a gnat lands on any of the players. 

11:56 left in the 2nd Half... LBSU leads 48-46
After LBSU gives up the lead for the first time since the early minutes of the game, Corey Jackson provides a spark off of the bench with the absence of Ware with two immediate 3-pointers for the 49ers on back-to-back possessions. 

7:49 left in the 2nd Half... LBSU leads 55-53
Jackson's spark (9 points, 3-3 from beyond the arc) helps patch the loss of Ware.  Rebounding battle is becoming more intense and it looks more like the game is going to be won/lost at the free throw line.  Both teams are already in the bonus.

3:56 left in the 2nd Half... LBSU leads 68-61
The soon-to-be Big West Player of the Year returns... Ware re-enters the line-up with four fouls and immediately converts four free throws.... on two nice drives... good recognition of the foul situation for Northridge.  He's an impact player...Big three-pointer by Plater from the corner and a Phelps slam to give the 49ers some breathing room.  LBSU shows some life with a few hard fouls on Lenny Daniels down low.

FINAL SCORE: 49ers 79, Matadors 62 - Statement Win!!
24-8 run by LBSU over the last 7:49 to close it out... the bench was fired up!!
Free throws were the key down the stretch as LBSU iced the game at the charity stripe.
49ers are now 10-2 overall in Big West Conference play and retain an even stronger hold on first place... it's time to pack the Pyramid for the final four home games of the year, beginning next Wednesday night against UC Riverside..

Four home games left, fans, let's cut down those nets at home!!

Feb. 16 vs. UC Riverside - 7:00 p.m.
Feb. 19 vs. Montana (live on ESPN2) - 8:00 p.m.
*free t-shirts for the first 1,000 students
Feb. 24 vs. Cal Poly - 7:00 p.m.
Feb. 26 vs. UC Santa Barbara (live on ESPN2) - 5:00 p.m.
*WHITE OUT NIGHT, wear white to the game.  The first 4,000 fans receive a free t-shirt