49ers Face Southland Foes
Beach Plays At Fullerton And Riverside
February 9, 2004
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| UPCOMING GAMES | Thursday, February 12 at UC Riverside, 7:10 pm, Riverside, CA
(Internet: Tape-delayed on KRLA, 870 AM) | Saturday, February14 at CS Fullerton, 7:05 pm, Fullerton, CA
(Internet: Live on KRLA, 870 AM) |
| PROBABLE STARTERS | | F-21-Anthony Coleman (6-11, 205, Jr., 7.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg) | | F-30-Kevin Roberts (6-5, 255, Sr., 14.7 ppg, 6.7 rpg) | | C-5-Marcel Jackson (6-9, 290, Sr., 5.9 ppg, 4.0 rpg) | | G-20-Kevin Houston (5-10, 170, Fr., 5.0 ppg, 3.1 apg) | | G-1-Jibril Hodges (6-2, 179, So., 10.1 ppg, 2.1 rpg) |
The Records: Long Beach State hits the road for its next three games beginning with a Thursday date at UC Riverside. The 49ers then play at CS Fullerton on Saturday and UC Irvine on Wednesday, February 18. Long Beach is currently 6-14 overall and 4-7 in the Big West, having dropped its last three games. UC Riverside is 6-12 overall and 3-7 in the Big West, while CS Fullerton checks in at 7-12 overall and 3-7 in league play. The 49ers are tied for 6th place in the league standings while UCR and CSF are tied for 8th place.
The Coach: Larry Reynolds (UC Riverside, 1976) is 11-65 (.234) his second year at Long Beach State and 121-71 (.630) overall as a collegiate head coach. Reynolds was 110-35 (.759) in five years as the head coach at Cal State San Bernardino.
The Series: Long Beach State leads in its series with UC Riverside by a 16-4 count, but the Highlanders have won four of the last five meetings. UCR won the first meeting this season, 73-61 on January 17 at The Pyramid. Last year at UCR the Highlanders won 77-73. When Long Beach and Fullerton meet on Saturday it will be the 86th meeting between the two. The 49ers lead the series 51-34, but the Titans won on January 15 at The Pyramid, 74-66. The 49ers lost at Fullerton last year, 57-53 in overtime.
49ers Drop Two At Home: Thursday night Ian Boylan had 20 points and Eto Enyenegecha 18 points and eight rebounds to lead CS Northridge to a 64-56 win over the 49ers. The Matadors out-rebounded the 49ers 42-31 and were 13-16 at the free throw line, despite shooting just .414 (24-58) from the field. Kevin Roberts led the 49ers with 17 points and eight rebounds and Marcel Jackson added 13 points. LBSU committed 20 turnovers, shot .426 (20-47) from the field and .440 (11-25) at the free throw line. Saturday night the 49ers fell 67-58 to Pacific. Miah Davis led the way with 21 points and Christian Maraker added 19. Kevin Roberts led the 49ers with 11 points and Anthony Coleman had nine points and 10 rebounds. LBSU shot .371 from the field and Pacific was 25-32 at the free throw line, compared to 10-17 for LBSU.
49ers Get A Transfer: Long Beach State Head Coach Larry Reynolds announced that Onye Ibekwe (F, 6-7, 244, So.) has transferred to The Beach from Oklahoma State. Ibekwe, who prepped at Crenshaw High School, was redshirting this season for the Cowboys. In 2002-03 as a true freshman, Ibekwe appeared in 11 games, averaging 0.8 points and 1.2 rebounds per game in 51 minutes of action. Ibekwe was an all-league selection and a McDonald's All-America nominee his senior year at Crenshaw. He averaged 16 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks per game in 2002 as Crenshaw finished as co-Coliseum League champions. Ibekwe will be eligible at the end of the first semester next season and with two and a half years of eligibility remaining.
Roberts Eclipses 1,000 Points: Senior Kevin Roberts became just the 14th player in Long Beach State history to score 1,000 career points. he accomplished the feat on Saturday night vs. Pacific at the 18:56 mark of the second half. Roberts, who had 11 points vs. the Tigers, now has 1,008 career points, good for 12th place all-time. Directly ahead of him in the #11 spot is Dick Nelson (1966-69) with 1,063 points. Lucious Harris (1989-93) is the career scoring leader at LBSU with 2,312 points.
Hodges Climbs On 3-Point Charts: Jibril Hodges is shooting .379 (39-103) from 3-point range this season, the 49ers top long-range threat. He has knocked down five three's twice this season, once at Portland the second time coming vs. CS Fullerton. With 39 made three's this year, Hodges is tied for the #20 spot on the 49er single season chart. On the 49er career chart, Hodges is 75-209 in one-plus seasons. He needs just two more to move into the #10 spot in made three's. Antrone Lee (1997-00) currently holds down the #10 position (76-256).
I Love the 60's: The 49ers have struggled at times on offense this season, but when they hit 60 points or more the odds tip in their favor. LBSU is 6-4 this year when scoring 60 or more points in a game. When they tally 70 or more, they are 4-2. On the opposite end, then they score less than 60 points in a game, The Beach is 0-10.
Comeback Kids: The 49ers have pulled off three inspiring comebacks for wins this season, earning victories over UC Santa Barbara, UC Irvine and Idaho in dramatic fashion.
January 29 at Idaho: The 49ers trailed 56-49 with 5:34 to go in the game and 58-54 with 3:43 left. Long Beach out-scored Idaho 10-2 down the stretch to come away with the 64-60 win. The Vandals missed four consecutive shots and turned the ball over three times in six straight possessions allowing the 49ers to take a 62-58 lead with 0:25 left. Kevin Roberts and Lucian graham both had four points in the final three-plus minutes.
January 24 vs. UC Irvine: UCI led 14-1 and 22-4 (12:50) in the early stages of the game and looked as if they would run away and hide. The 49ers cut the deficit to 37-26 at the half and trailed 41-29 with 18:50 left before rallying. LBSU went on a 15-2 run to take a 44-43 lead with 13:04 left. There were six more tie scores the remainder of the game before UCI's Mike Efevberha hit a three-pointer with under two seconds left to send the game to overtime. After one more time at 71-71, the 49ers were able to hold on for a 77-74 victory.
January 3 vs. UCSB: UCSB led 49-28 with 16:59 left in the game and 58-40 at the 10:35 mark before the 49ers made their run. LBSU held the Gauchos scoreless for 9:23, going on an 18-0 run to tie the game at 58-58 with 2:00 left. two free throws at 1:12 by Cameron Goettsche broke the UCSB drought. Up 62-60 after a Jacoby Atako layup, the 49ers won the game on Louis Darby's three-pointer at the buzzer, 63-62.
Shooting Woes: The 49ers are shooting .414 from the field this season, a mark which ranks ninth in the Big West Conference. Since shooting .500 or better in three consecutive games (Colgate, UCSB, Cal Poly), the 49ers have yet to hit that mark in its last nine games. In its last three games, all losses, the 49ers have shot just .377 (60-159) from the field overall and .204 (10-49) from 3-point range. Consequently, the 49ers are averaging just 53.3 points per game in their last three outings.
Offensive Rebounding On The Upswing?: Saturday night vs. Pacific the 49ers grabbed 18 offensive rebounds, its fourth-best total of the year and the most since 22 caroms on Dec. 23 vs. LMU. Anthony Coleman had six offensive boards vs. the Tigers while Kevin Roberts grabbed four. In the previous three games the 49ers had garnered just 21 offensive rebounds.
Blocked Out: On Saturday night vs. Pacific, for the first time all season, the 49ers did not record a blocked shot in a game. The Beach is fourth in the Big West at 2.85 blocks per game with Antoine Jackson leading the way with 16 blocked shots. In Thursday's game vs. CS Northridge the 49ers recorded five blocked shots.
Kevin Roberts: Had 11 points vs. Pacific to push him over the 1,000-point mark in his 49er career, making him just the 14th 49er to eclipse that mark. Averaged 14.0 points and 6.5 rebounds in the two games last week, including 17 points and eight rebounds vs. CS Northridge. Roberts is the 49ers leading scorer (14.7) and rebounder (6.7) this season. He has scored in double figures in 17 of the 20 games this season, including eclipsing 20 points in a game four times. He had a season-high 24 points vs. Colgate, 22 at Idaho and at home against Southern Utah and 21 at CS Northridge. Roberts also has recorded five double-double's this season. His last double-double came in the win over Cal Poly (Jan. 5) as he finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Roberts is the 10th player in 49er history to record 1,000 career points and 500 career rebounds.
Marcel Jackson: Had a strong outing vs. CS Northridge with 13 points, five rebounds and two blocks in 16 minutes. Was 6-8 from the field and three of his rebounds were offensive. Tallied four points and two boards vs. Pacific. Is averaging 5.9 points and 4.0 rebounds per game this season while shooting .528 (47-89) from the field. Of his 80 total rebounds this season, more than half (44), are on the offensive glass. Jackson had eight points and a career-high tying 10 rebounds vs. UC Riverside on Jan. 17. His best game of the season came on Dec. 23 in the 49ers win over Loyola Marymount. He finished with a career-high 17 points and a career-best 10 rebounds. All 17 of his points came in the second half.
Antoine Jackson: After missing three consecutive games due to an ankle sprain, Jackson played seven minutes on Saturday vs. Pacific, but did not score or grab a rebound. He came off the bench and gave the 49ers a big defensive effort in the win over UC Irvine on Jan. 24. Played 19 minutes, finishing with four rebounds and three blocked shots. Jackson recorded three blocks for the third time this season (Cal Poly, CS Stanislaus). Jackson is averaging 3.9 points and 3.1 rebounds per game overall while shooting .556 (25-45) from the field. He leads the squad with 16 blocked shots and has 10 in Big West outings. He had a big game in the win over UCSB, finishing with 10 points, all coming in the second half.
Anthony Coleman: Made his long-awaited debut on Thursday night vs. CS Northridge playing 24 minutes off the bench. Finished with six points, four rebounds, two assists and two blocks. Started the game on Saturday and finished with nine points and 10 rebounds in 28 minutes. Averaging 7.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. Got the final go-ahead to play from the doctors on Monday, February 2. Was originally supposed to be ready to play on December 23, but suffered a stress fracture in his foot and was sidelined from early December until this week. Coleman transferred to LBSU from Xavier last year at mid-semester.
Chris Jenkins: Had one of his better games on Saturday as he finished with eight points and two rebounds in 25 minutes vs. Pacific. The 25 minutes played was the most for Jenkins since he garnered 26 minutes on Jan. 10 at CS Northridge. Heading into the UOP game he had scored just 13 points in his previous six outings. Is currently averaging 5.6 points and 1.9 rebounds per game. He scored a season-high 15 points in the win over CS Stanislaus and was 4-6 from 3-point range at Minnesota, finishing with 12 points. Once of his best overall games came in the win over Cal Poly as he finished with nine points, a career-high tying five rebounds and two assists.
Cody Pearson: Played only five minutes vs. Pacific and finished with three points and two rebounds in 16 minutes vs. CS Northridge. At Idaho he had five points and a team-high seven rebounds in 21 minutes in the 49ers victory and at Utah State he had six points and three rebounds. In the home victory over UC Irvine, Pearson had seven points, three rebounds and three steals in 23 minutes. Pearson currently is averaging 3.5 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. Pearson had a career-best 11 boards at Portland earlier this season.
Jibril Hodges: Scored nine points in both games this week. Hasn't scored in double figures since tallying 13 points and three rebounds in the win at Idaho. Has struggled from 3-point range recently, shooting just .211 (4-19) in his last three games. Hodges had 20 points at home against CS Fullerton and 18 in the overtime win over UC Irvine. He scored 10 points in the second half and five in overtime vs. UCI. Was a perfect 6-6 at the free throw line, including hitting 4-4 in the final 2:44 of regulation. Hodges has scored in double digits seven times this season. He is second on the team at 10.1 points per game. Knocked down a career-best 21 points in the 49ers win over Cal Poly, shooting 4-7 from 3-point range. Hodges is the 49ers top long-range threat this season, shooting .379 (39-103) from 3-point range. He also has done a fine job in distributing the basketball las he is second on the team with 49 assists.
Louis Darby: Had seven points on Saturday vs. Pacific and is currently averaging 7.4 points and 2.3 rebounds per game. Since scoring 20 points at home against UC Riverside on January 17, has averaged 6.0 ppg in his last five outings. Stands at 9.3 ppg in Big West outings while shooting .492 (30-61) from the field. Has scored in double digits four times this season, including a career-best 20 points against both Cal Poly and UC Riverside. Was named the Big West Player of the Week on January 6 after leading the 49ers to wins over UCSB and Cal Poly. Averaged 18.5 points per game and hit the game-winning shot, a three-pointer, at the buzzer vs. the Gauchos, a 63-62 49er triumph. Against UC Riverside, he had 20 points and a career-high seven rebounds in 31 minutes of action.
Mark Bowens: Did not play vs. Pacific and logged four minutes vs. CS Northridge. Has appeared in 13 games this season, averaging 1.5 points and 0.8 rebounds per game. Is shooting .333 (6-18) form three-point range. Had three points against CS Fullerton on January 15, and added two steals in four minutes. Started against Southern Utah, finishing with three points and three assists in 18 minutes. Recorded a career-high tying five points at Sacramento State in 26 minutes, also a career-high.
Ulric Pattillo: Walk-on Ulric Pattillo had played in seven games this season, averaging 0.9 points per game. Played four minutes at Utah State and had one assist. January 10 at CS Northridge he played 11 minutes off the bench, finishing with one rebound and one assist. Pattillo scored three points against both Pepperdine and Sacramento State, knocking down a three against both. The three points is a career-high for him. Pattillo played 11 minutes at Sacramento State as well, representing a season-high. Last year he scored just two points, with both of those coming at the free throw line. Pattillo is 2-4 (.500) from 3-point range this season.
Alex Graham: Played five minutes at Idaho and a season-high 13 minutes at Utah State on January 31. Had one rebound at Idaho and finished with three rebounds and a blocked shot at USU. Did not play in either home game this past week. Has appeared in seven games, averaging 0.0 points and 1.9 rebounds per game. Played eight minutes vs. UC Irvine, finishing with two rebounds and a blocked shot. Had three rebounds against both San Diego State and Minnesota. Played seven minutes at Minnesota, finishing with three boards, two blocks and one steal. Saw 11 minutes of action at SDSU with three boards and was 0-2 from the field.
Kevin Houston: Had a career-high 10 assists on Thursday vs. CS Northridge, adding three points and five rebounds in 36 minutes of action. Saturday night he had just two points and no assists in 24 minutes. Was instrumental in the win at Idaho, finishing with eight points, four rebounds, three assists and three steals in 36 minutes. Is averaging 5.0 points, 2.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game this year. In the overtime win over UC Irvine he had nine points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals in a career-best 40 minutes. The six rebounds was a new career-high for him. Houston has just 20 turnovers in his last 259 minutes (9 games), compared to 33 assists. He leads the team with 61 assists.
Lucian Graham: Had a big game vs. UC Irvine (1/24) with a career-high 17 points in 27 minutes of action. Also had three assists while shooting 4-6 from 3-point range. Tallied six points and three assists at Idaho and seven points at Utah State. Averaging 4.4 points and 1.6 rebounds per game overall while shooting .444 (16-36) from 3-point range. On the year, Graham has played in 19 games with two starts (LMU, Sacramento State). Before his 17-point effort vs. UC Irvine, Graham's previous career-high was seven points against Colgate. He also had six points against San Diego State, Minnesota, Southern Utah and CS Fullerton.
Travon Free: Had four points and three rebounds in eight minutes on Saturday vs. Pacific. Tallied four points and one steal in six minutes at Idaho and had two points and an assist in 11 minutes against Utah State. Averaging 2.8 points and 1.5 rebounds pre game while shooting .541 (20-37) from the field. Recorded career-high's against Colgate as he had eight points and seven rebounds where he was 4-7 from the field in a season-high 25 minutes.
2003-04 Schedule & Results (6-14 / 4-7 Big West)
| Nov. 21 | at San Diego State | L, 44-74 | | Nov. 29 | at Portland | L, 59-65 | | Dec. 3 | CS Stanislaus | W, 71-62 | | Dec. 6 | at Pepperdine | L, 73-87 | | Dec. 9 | at Minnesota | L, 58-88 | | Dec. 20 | Southern Utah | L, 59-60 | | Dec. 23 | Loyola Marymount | W, 71-68 | | Dec. 27 | at Sacramento State | L, 51-73 | | Dec. 30 | Colgate | L, 71-73 | | Jan. 3 | *UC Santa Barbara | W, 63-62 | | Jan. 5 | *Cal Poly | W, 86-72 | | Jan. 8 | *at Pacific | L, 55-70 | | Jan. 10 | *at CS Northridge | L, 57-79 | | Jan. 15 | *CS Fullerton | L, 66-74 | | Jan. 17 | *UC Riverside | L, 61-73 | | Jan. 24 | *UC Irvine (OT) | W, 77-74 | | Jan. 29 | *at Idaho | W, 64-60 | | Jan. 31 | *at Utah State | L, 46-84 | | Feb. 5 | *CS Northridge | L, 56-64 | | Feb. 7 | *Pacific | L, 58-67 | | Feb. 12 | *at UC Riverside | 7:10 pm | | Feb. 14 | *at CS Fullerton | 7:05 pm | | Feb. 18 | *at UC Irvine (TV: KVMD) | 7:05 pm | | Feb. 26 | *Utah State | 7:35 pm | | Feb. 28 | *Idaho (TV: FSW2) | 5:05 pm | | Mar. 4 | *at Cal Poly | 7:05 pm | | Mar. 6 | *at UC Santa Barbara | 7:05 pm | | Mar. 10-13 | at Big West Tournament | tba |
# Exhibition Game
* Big West Conference Game |
