Long Beach State University Athletics
Hodges Leads 49ers Past UMBC
12/22/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
49ers Hold on to Defeat UMBC
LONG BEACH, CA-- Jibril Hodges scored a season-high 20 points and Long Beach State (3-6) snapped a four-game losing skid with a 81-70 win over Maryland-Baltimore County (4-6). A 17-4 second half run keyed the rally. "I was hoping that the pressure and the number of guys we were playing would wear on them. It finally did in the last ten minutes or so," said Head Coach Larry Reynolds. "I think in the second half guys got in rhythm more comfortable and they started to really shoot the ball." The 49er defense meanwhile, held John Zito to just one point in the second half, after 17 first half scores. Chris Pugh led the Retrievers with 19 points, who finished with four players in double figures. UMBC shot just 34 percent in the second half and 45 percent for the game. Shawn Hawkins, after six first half points, scored 17 points in the winning effort and hit a three-pointer with 2:27, which put the game out of reach, at 73-64. Kejuan Johnson added 11 points for LBSU. The Beach shot 50 percent in the second half and 48 percent for the game. Hodges' seven points as part of a 12-2 run gave the 49ers a 58-54 lead with 6:08 left. Hodges ignited the rally with back-to-back steals and layups, before his three-pointer gave LBSU a four-point advantage. "I came in the and tried to pick it up on the defensive end and give the team a spark. This is what coach has wanted us to do all season," said Hodges. "I noticed that they were not getting back in transition defense and they were not hitting their spots in the zone." Jazz Henderson's steal and layup gave LBSU the lead, at 53-52, before LBSU upped it to 63-56, on a 17-4 run. A Jerrell Dickins three with 14:30 left gave UMBC a 47-41 lead, as the Retrievers forced a 49er timeout, at 10:42, following a 52-46 lead. UMBC took a 39-38 lead at the half, paced by a 57 percent clip and 17 first half points from Zito. LBSU shot 46 percent, as Hodges countered with 11 points. Onye Ibekwe used a personal 5-0 run to keep LBSU in front at 20-18 with 7:21 left, after Henderson's three-pointer with 9:30 left gave the 49ers a 15-12 lead and capped a 13-2 run by The Beach. The 49ers are next in action when they host a doubleheader with the women's team at The Walter Pyramid on December 30, with the women taking on South Dakota State at 5 p.m. and the men playing Cornell at 7:30 p.m. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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