49ERS HOME FOR FOUR STRAIGHT
January 27, 2003
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LONG BEACH STATE MEN'S BASKETBALL
Overall Record: 2-14
Big West Record: 1-6
UPCOMING ACTION | Wed., Jan. 29 | | | | Cal Poly
(Live TV: KDOC) | 7:05 pm | The Pyramid | Internet: www.kbeach.org | | Sat., Feb. 1 | | | | | UC Santa Barbara | 7:35 pm | The Pyramid | Internet: www.kbeach.org |
49ER PROBABLE STARTERS
| F | 25 | Travis Clark | (6-3, 210, Jr., 3.3 ppg, 1.0 rpg) | | F | 30 | Kevin Roberts | (6-7, 235, Jr., 12.3 ppg, 5.8 rpg) | | C | 32 | Vance Lawhorn | (6-8, 230, Sr., 7.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg) | | G | 11 | Darnell Thompson | (6-2, 195, Jr., 4.9 ppg, 2.4 apg) | | G | 20 | Tony Darden | (6-4, 200, Sr., 14.8 ppg, 2.3 rpg) |
Check out the 2002-03 Roster Check out the 2002-03 Schedule
The Records: The 49ers begin a four-game homestand on Wednesday night when they host Cal Poly at The Pyramid. LBSU is 2-14 overall and 1-6 in the Big West Conference. Cal Poly is 7-9 overall and 3-4 in the Big West after losing at UCSB on Saturday night, 70-61. Cal Poly has lost two in a row and four of its last five. UCSB is 8-9 overall and 5-2 in the Big West and have won three in a row.
The Coach: Larry Reynolds (UC Riverside, 1976) is 2-14 (.125) in his first year at Long Beach State. Reynolds compiled a career mark of 110-35 (.759) in five years as the head coach at Cal State San Bernardino. He led the Coyotes to two NCAA Division II Elite Eight appearances (1998-99, 2001-02) and four CCAA Championships. Last year CSUSB was 28-2 and advanced to the Elite Eight. He was named the CCAA Coach of the Year four consecutive seasons.
The Series Records: The 49ers lead in their series with Cal Poly by a 25-21 count. the two squads split last season's series, with the 49ers winning 83-80 at home in overtime, while the Mustangs won 75-63 in Mott Gym. The 49ers are 5-1 all-time vs. Cal Poly in The Pyramid. The 49ers lead their series with UCSB by a 47-43 count. The two teams split their series last year with the 49ers winning 77-74 at The Pyramid and then falling at the Thunderdome, 82-50. The 49ers are 7-1 lifetime vs. the Gauchos in The Pyramid.
Beach Falls At Pacific: Five Tigers scored in double digits, led by Demetrius Jackson's 16 points, as Pacific routed the 49ers 93-60 on Saturday night in Stockton. Antoine Jackson led the 49ers with 12 points and 10 rebounds and Kevin Roberts added 10 points and six rebounds. Pacific shot .617 (37-60) from the field for the game, 9-17 (.529) from three -point range and forced 23 turnovers.
49ers Drop Tough One At CSN: Vance Lawhorn had a career-high 29 points and 12 rebounds, but it wasn't enough as CS Northridge had four players score in double figures en route to an 85-77 win at The Matadome. Cody Pearson added a career-high 12 points, but the 49ers were just 4-19 (.211) from three-point range and committed 16 turnovers. CSN shot an impressive .527 (29-55) from the field as Ian Boylan led the Matadors with 21 points and Curtis Slaughter added 20. The 49ers shot .481 (25-52) from the field, thanks in a large part to Lawhorn who was 9-10. Lawhorn was also 11-14 at the free throw line for his 29 points. Kevin Roberts added 11 and Tony Darden 10.
Lawhorn Sets Career-High: Senior Vance Lawhorn (Las Vegas, NV) was a man among boys last Wednesday night as he exploded for a career-high 29 points and 12 rebounds at CS Northridge. He also added two assists in his 27 minutes of action. Lawhorn was 9-10 from the field and 11-14 from the free throw line. His previous career-best was 15 points vs. IPFW on Dec. 29, 2001. This season he had scored 10 points against CS Monterey Bay, UC Irvine and Idaho. Saturday at Pacific the Tigers limited him to just three shots from the field as he finished with eight points. In his last four games Lawhorn is averaging 13.8 points per game and he is shooting an amazing .792 (19-24) from the field. Lawhorn is now averaging 7.7 points and 3.7 rebounds per game while shooting .661 (41-62) from the field and .680 (34-50) from the free throw line. In league games he is at 9.3 points and 3.9 boards per game with a .706 (24-34) field goal percentage.
Pearson Puts Up Numbers: Sophomore Cody Pearson (Sherman Oaks, CA) had a career-high 12 points last Wednesday at CS Northridge, and also added five rebounds in a career-high 30 minutes of action. Pearson was 5-8 from the field and four of his five rebounds were on the offensive glass. Pearson is just getting back to full strength after hurting his left knee on Dec. 30 vs. Portland. In the 49ers win over Idaho he had six points, four rebounds and an assist. Pearson is currently averaging 3.3 points and 2.9 rebounds per game while shooting .538 (21-39) from the field. Pearson's previous career-high for points was eight which he set in the season-opener at Charlotte, and in last season's game at Pacific. Of his 44 total rebounds this season, 19 are on the offensive glass.
Antoine Jackson Records A Double-Double: Junior Antoine Jackson (San Antonio, TX) picked up his first double-double as a 49er in Saturday's game at Pacific as he finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Jackson was 5-7 from the field and 2-2 at the free throw line in his 17 minutes of action. All of his points and rebounds came in the second half, as he played 16 of is 17 minutes in the second stanza. Jackson's 12 points ties his career-high which he set against CS Monterey Bay. His 10 rebounds represents the second time he has hit that mark, with the first coming against Portland. Jackson is averaging 4.4 points and 3.9 rebounds per game while shooting .625 (30-48) from the field. He also leads the team with 14 blocked shots. The scoring outburst broke a drought for Jackson as he had scored just 11 points in his previous six games.
Darden Leads In Scoring: Senior guard Tony Darden (Snow Hill, NC) continues to lead the 49ers in scoring at 14.8 points per game. Darden has tallied double digits in scoring in 14 of the 16 games this season. Saturday at Pacific he was held to a season-low four points and did not hit a three-pointer in a game for the first time this season. Darden is 48-125 (.384) from three-point range this season and 21-53 (.396) in Big West games. In the 49ers win over Idaho on Jan. 16 he pumped in a team-high 17 points, hitting 3-7 from three-point range and going 8-9 at the free throw line. In the loss at UC Riverside (Jan. 7) he tallied 19 points and was 6-7 from long-range. In recent outings Darden has struggled from beyond the three-point arc, shooting just .282 (11-39) in the last five games. Darden scored a career-high 26 points in the win over CS Monterey Bay and was 8-11 from three-point range, good for 24 points, vs. Pepperdine. The eight made three's vs. the Waves tied a 49er school record, set by Morlon Wiley vs. UCSB on Feb. 4, 1987. Darden has also done a fine job in passing the ball as he is second on the team with 37 assists.
Roberts Continues Strong Play: Junior forward Kevin Roberts (Petaluma, CA) led the 49ers with 19 points against Utah State, hitting 9-13 shots from the field. Wednesday at CS Northridge he finished with 11 points and Saturday he had 10 points at Pacific, for his ninth and tenth double-figure scoring game of the season. Roberts, who is averaging 12.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, had his first career double-double in the game at UC Riverside (1/9) as he finished with 16 points and a career-high 10 rebounds. In Big West outings Roberts is averaging 12.1 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. In the win over Idaho, Roberts finished with 13 points and nine rebounds, the fourth time this year he has grabbed nine boards in a game (CS Monterey Bay, San Diego State, LMU, Idaho). Roberts leads the team with 18 steals and is second with 11 blocked shots. He had a season-high 21 points against Portland on Dec. 30 at The Pyramid.
Marcel Jackson Plays Big Vs. Aggies: Junior Marcel Jackson (Santa Cruz, CA) had a big game vs. Utah State as he finished with six points and six rebounds in 16 minutes of action. Of his six boards, three were on the offensive glass. Jackson also had a strong outing at UC Riverside on January 9, finishing with six points and four rebounds in 22 minutes. Of his four rebounds, three were on the offensive glass. Saturday at Pacific he finished with four points and three rebounds. Jackson is averaging 2.6 points and 2.3 rebounds per game and is shooting .515 (17-33) from the field and .833 (5-6) at the free throw line. Jackson's best game was a nine-point, seven-rebound effort at Loyola Marymount on December 14. Of his 32 total rebounds this year, 14 are offensive.
Clark Steps Into Role: Junior walk-on Travis Clark (Carlsbad, CA) has started for the 49ers in their last five games. Clark stepped into the limelight on Jan. 9 at UC Riverside where he scored a career-high 14 points and grabbed three rebounds in 24 minutes, all career-best's. Clark, who had played in just two games prior to the UCR contest, was 7-8 at the free throw line and 3-8 from the field against the Highlanders. He scored seven of the 49ers nine points at the end of the first half, cutting a 19-point deficit to just 11. Clark earned his first start as a 49er on Jan. 11 at CS Fullerton and finished with six points in 30 minutes. Clark is averaging 3.3 points and 1.0 rebounds per game while shooting an impressive .909 (10-11) at the free throw line. Saturday at Pacific, Clark didn't score, but he had two rebounds and a career-high three steals. Clark came to LBSU from Mira Costa College where he was a second team All-Pacific Coast Conference pick as a sophomore after averaging 12.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game.
Hodges Performs In Big West: Freshman point guard Jibril Hodges (Park Forest, IL) has played very well in Big West Conference games. Last Wednesday night at CS Northridge he finished with six points and five assists in 22 minutes, with just one turnover. In the game at UC Riverside (Jan. 9), he finished with eight points and four assists in 23 minutes. The eight points and four assists were new career-high's for him, until his next game. At CS Fullerton (Jan. 11) he finished with nine points and five assists, setting new career marks in those categories. He also added five rebounds vs. the Titans. Hodges is averaging 5.0 points, 1.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game in league contests. Overall, Hodges is averaging 3.3 points, 1.5 assists and 1.3 rebounds per game. In his first collegiate game, Hodges scored three points, grabbed six rebounds and dished out two assists at Charlotte. Hodges is the son of former 49er, and Chicago Bull, great Craig Hodges. The elder Hodges played at LBSU from 1978-82 and is the fifth-leading scorer in school history with 1,476 career points.
Darden On Three-Point Chart: Senior Tony Darden (Snow Hill, NC) continues his climb up the 49er career charts for three-pointers. His 108 career three's ranks seventh all-time in 49er history and his 300 attempts also ranks eighth. This year Darden is 48-125 (.384) from long-range this season. Last season Darden was 60-175 (.343) from long-range. The 60 made three's tied for fifth on the 49er single season chart.
Producing At The Line: The 49ers are shooting an impressive .748 (98-131) at the free throw line in Big West Conference games, best in the league. Last Wednesday at CS Northridge the 49ers were 23-29 (.793) at the charity stripe and in the contest at UC Riverside (Jan. 9), the 49ers shot a season-best .850 (17-20). In the victory over Idaho the 49ers were 20-26 (.769) at the charity stripe, including hitting 10 of 11 free throws over the final 8:42 of the contest. In Big West games Travis Clark is shooting .909 (10-11), Tony Darden .828 (24-29) and Kevin Roberts .800 (24-30). Overall on the season the 49ers are shooting .707 (217-307) from the line. Last year the 49ers shot a dismal .640 (380-594) at the free throw line. The school record for season free throw percentage came in 1964-65 when the 49ers connected on .732 of its free throws.
Season Low In Turnovers: January 18 vs. Utah State the 49ers had a season-low 11 turnovers. The previous low this year was 13 against CS Monterey Bay, Southern Utah and San Diego State. Overall this season the 49ers are averaging 18.8 turnovers per game. In Big West outings that number stands at 17.7 per game.
Rebounding Improves: The 49ers have out-rebounded three of their last four opponents (Idaho, Utah State, Pacific) and four of their last six. The 49ers won the battle of the boards over Idaho, 31-29, over Utah State, 30-28 and at Pacific, 35-34. Last Wednesday at CS Northridge the 49ers were out-rebounded by one, 33-32. Long Beach has out-rebounded nine of its 16 opponents this year.
From The Field: The 49ers shot .478 (25-52) from the field last Wednesday at CS Northridge, its third-best single game performance this season. The season-high of .523 (23-44) came on Dec. 2 vs. Pepperdine and on Nov. 26 vs. CS Monterey Bay the 49ers shot .483 (29-60).
Four Free Throw Attempts? The 49ers went to the free throw line just four times in the game vs. Utah State (Jan. 18), hitting just one of those attempts. The previous low this season for free throw attempts was Dec. 20 at Gonzaga when the 49ers were 6-8 at the charity stripe. Last year's low total was eight attempts on 1/12/02 at Utah State. What is the school-record? Zero. Back on Feb. 13, 1986 the 49ers were 0-0 at the free throw line in a 54-50 loss at Pacific (the Tigers were 14-26 at the charity stripe in that game). That is just short of 17 years ago and covers a span of 490 games.
Free Throws Vs. CSN: After going to the free throw line just four times vs. Utah State, the 49ers went to the line 29 times last Wednesday at Northridge. The 23 made free throws and 29 attempts are season-high's for the 49ers.
Last Year Vs. Cal Poly: The 49ers split with Cal Poly, winning 83-80 at home, in overtime, and losing 75-63 at Cal Poly. In the 49er win, Travis Reed had 25 points and Ron Johnson 23 to propel the 49ers. Steve Geary had 18, David Henry 17 and Eric Jackson 16. At Cal Poly, Varnie Dennis had 20 points and Brandon Beeson added 12 points and 16 rebounds. Geary added 11 points off the bench. Rudy Williams led the 49ers with 15 points and 13 rebounds.
Last Year vs. UCSB: The 49ers defeated the Gauchos at home, 77-74, but fell at UCSB, 82-50. In the home win Ron Johnson had 18 points, Travis Reed 15 and Tony Darden 13. Mark Hull led UCSB with 21 points and Branduinn Fullove had 20. In the rout at UCSB, all five Gaucho starters scored in double figures, led by Nick Jones' 19. UCSB led 46-17 at the half as the 49ers were just 4-24 (.167) from the field in the first half. Darden led the 49ers with 13 points, the only 49er in double digits.
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