49ers Tangle With Cornell & UC Davis
Second Of Three Straight Home Games
December 29, 2005
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OVERALL RECORD: 3-6 / BIG WEST RECORD: 0-0 | Friday, December 30 vs. Cornell, 7:30 pm,
Walter Pyramid
Internet Radio: www.longbeachstate.com | Monday, January 2 vs. UC Davis, 7:30 pm,
Walter Pyramid
Internet Radio: www.longbeachstate.com |
PROBABLE STARTERS | | LONG BEACH STATE (3-6) | | F-3-Shawn Hawkins (6-6, 225, Sr., 11.6 ppg, 5.3 rpg) | | C-21-Mark Dawson (6-9, 203, Jr., 3.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg) | | G-1-Jibril Hodges (6-2, 175, Sr., 14.1 ppg, 1.4 rpg) | | G-30-Kejuan Johnson (6-3, 185, Jr., 14.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg) | | G-55-Aaron Nixon (6-1, 218, Jr., 12.2 ppg, 4.4 rpg) | | | | CORNELL (4-6) | | F-1-Ugo Ihekweazu (6-5, 210, Jr., 1.6 ppg, 0.8 rpg) | | F-20-Lenny Collins (6-6, 205, Sr., 12.7 ppg, 4.4 rpg) | | C-42-Andrew Naeve (6-9, 220, Sr., 8.2 ppg, 7.5 rpg) | | G-3-Graham Dow (6-0, 175, Jr., 1.8 ppg, 1.4 rpg) | | G-23-Adam Gore (6-0, 180, Fr., 12.2 ppg, 2.2 rpg) | | | | UC DAVIS (3-7) | | F-5-Thomas Jullerat (6-6, 225, Jr., 10.8 ppg, 4.0 rpg) | | F-10-Phil Rasmussen (6-7, 208, Sr., 11.8 ppg, 7.5 rpg) | | C-20-Kyle Crucculeri (6-8, 200, RFr., 9.6 ppg, 2.6 rpg) | | G-1-Rommel Marentez (5-10, 175, Jr., 11.3 ppg, 3.4 apg) | | G-4-Vince Oliver (6-3, 195, Fr., 12.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg) |
THE RECORDS
•Beach defeats UMBC, 81-70
Long Beach State snapped a four-game losing skid with an 81-70 win over Maryland-Baltimore County on December 22 at the Walter Pyramid. The 49ers improved to 3-6 with the win. Friday's game with Cornell is the second in a short three-game holiday homestand. The 49ers host UC Davis on January 2. Cornell is 4-6 on the year after defeating Army 74-39 on December 20. The Big Red continue their West Coast trip, playing at Washington on January 2. UC Davis is 3-7 on the year and hosts Pacific on December 29.
THE COACH
•Larry Reynolds is in his fourth year at LBSU
Larry Reynolds (UC Riverside, 1976) is 24-69 (.258) in three years as the head coach at Long Beach State. Overall, Reynolds is 134-104 (.563) in his ninth year as a head coach.
THE SERIES
•First meeting between LBSU and Cornell
Long Beach State and Cornell will be meeting for the first time in men's basketball. The 49ers are 2-1 all-time against Ivy League foes. The 49ers lead in their series with UC Davis by a 2-1 count. Last year the 49ers won 77-73 at home in overtime and lost 78-74 at Davis in overtime.
CORNELL FACTS
•Big Red have won two of last three
Cornell enters the week at 4-6, having two of its last three games. On December 20 they defeated Army at home, 74-39. In that game Cornell shot .519 (27-52) from the field, its second-best performance of the season. Andrew Naeve, Graham Dow and David Lisle led the Big Red with 10 points each. On the year, senior Lenny Collins leads the way in scoring at 12.7 points per game. Collins, a team captain, hails from Orange County, having prepped at Santa Margarita High School. Collins was a first team All-Ivy League pick last year and needs just 14 more points to become the school's 21st 1,000-point scorer. Freshman Adam Gore is second in scoring at 12.2 points per game and is their top-three point threat hitting 25-62 (.403) treys. Cornell is averaging 58.9 points per game and shooting .393 from the field. Big Red opponents are averaging 60.3 points per outing and shooting .405 from the field.
UC DAVIS FACTS
•Aggies host Pacific on December 29
The Aggies are 3-7 on the season and host Pacific on December 29. UC Davis has won its last two games, defeated Southeast Louisiana 69-64 in overtime on Dec. 18 and defeating Bethany 81-63 on Dec. 21. Leading the way for the Aggies is freshmam Vince Oliver who is averaging 12.3 points per game and is shooting .394 (13-33) from three-point range. Senior Phil Rasmussen, the lone senior on the roster, is averaging 11.8 points and a team-high 7.5 rebounds per game. As a team the Aggies are averaging 62.0 points per game while shooting .428 from the field. UCD opponents average 68.7 points per game and are shooting .502 from the field. Of the three wins, one was over Stanford, 64-58 on December 4 at Davis.
OFFENSE PUTTING UP NUMBERS
•49ers averaging 83.9 points per game (No. 9 in nation)
Despite scoring a season-low 56 points against San Jose State (12/10), the 49er offense has been running on all cylinders, averaging 83.9 points per game, tops in the Big West Conference. The 49ers have scored 80 or more points in six of their last seven games. In the latest NCAA Division I statistics, as of December 19, the 49ers were ninth in the county in scoring and tied for 18th in three-pointers made per game. Long Beach scored a season-high 108 points when they defeated San Francisco State 108-51 on November 27. The 108 points was the first time a 49er team has scored 100 or more points since December 29, 2001 in a 105-70 win at home over IPFW. The 108 points is the most since The Beach put up 127 points on December 22, 1999 in a 127-57 rout of Cal State Monterey Bay.
FIRING FROM LONG RANGE
•12 made three-pointers against UMBC
The 49ers are shooting .386 (83-215) from three-point range this season, averaging 9.2 made three's per game. In the win over UMBC the 49ers were 12-28 (.429) from long-range. The 12 made three's is tied for second on the 49er single game chart. The school record is 13, set earlier this season at Portland. The 49ers have hit double digits in made three's in five of their nine game. In its last two outings the 49ers are 23-54 (.426) from three-point range. December 3 at Portland the 49ers were 13-21 (.619) from long-range, a season-high for makes and percentage. Jibril Hodges is shooting .379 (25-66) from three-point land, Shawn Hawkins stands at .444 (16-36) and Sterling Byrd has hit 13 of 25 treys (.520). Last year the 49ers shot just .318 (159-500) from long-range, averaging 5.3 made three's per outing.
FREE THROW SHOOTING
•Beach shooting .675 at the line
The 49ers have been up and down at the free throw line this season. They shot a season-high .833 (20-24) at Sacramento State and a season-low .556 (15-27) in a six-point loss at Pepperdine. Overall The Beach stands at .675 at the charity stripe, but in its last two outings the 49ers are just 32-53 (.604). Jibril Hodges stands at .900 (18-20) to lead the team and he has knocked down 15 consecutive free throw attempts. Dominique Ricks is at .846 (11-13) and Kejuan Johnson (8-10) and Louis Darby (16-20) are each hitting at an .800 clip.
BALANCED SCORING
•Five players in double digits
Averaging 83.9 points per game overall, the 49ers have five players who are averaging in double digits. Jibril Hodges (14.1), Kejuan Johnson (14.0), Aaron Nixon (12.2), Kevin Houston (12.0) and Shawn Hawkins (11.6) are all above the magical double digit line this season.
RE-START THE STREAK
•49ers are 3-1 at home
After having an eight-game home winning streak snapped on December 10 vs. San Jose State, the 49ers re-started with an 81-70 home win over Maryland-Baltimore County. The 49ers have nine more home games this season. Last year the 49ers went 8-5 at home, winning their final six contests in the Walter Pyramid.
49ERS VS. THE IVY LEAGUE
•Beach 2-1 all-time vs. Ivy League
The 49ers have played just three games against Ivy League teams in its 55 years of playing men's basketball. The 49ers are 1-0 vs. Harvard (12/29/90) and 1-1 vs. Brown. The last meeting between LBSU and the Ivy League was on November 29, 1997, a 55-52 win over Brown at the Florida International Tournament.
BIG WEST CONFERENCE STATS
•49ers lead league in scoring
In the latest Big West Conference statistics, the 49ers ranked first in the Big West Conference in scoring at 83.9 points per game. The Beach is also first in blocked shots at 3.78 per game and in three-point field goals made (9.92). Long Beach ranks third in field goal percentage (.463) and three-point field goal percentage (.386). Individually, Jibril Hodges is seventh in scoring at 14.1 points per game. Kevin Houston is tied for first in field goal percentage at .571 and tied for fifth in assists at 2.89. Hodges also ranks third in free throw percentage (.900) and fourth in three-point field goals made per game (2.78). Sterling Byrd still is No. 1 in three-point field goal percentage (.520) and Shawn Hawkins ranks No. 9 in rebounding at 5.3 boards per game.
CONFERENCE REVS UP
•League play begins January 2
The start of Big West Conference play begins on Monday, January 2 when Cal Poly plays at CS Fullerton and UCSB travels to UC Riverside. The 49ers, who host UC Davis on January 2, will begin league play on January 7 at UCSB. Last year Pacific won the league title with a perfect 18-0 mark. The Tigers lost to Utah State in the Big West Tournament final, but received an at-large bid to the "Big Dance". The Tigers, for the second year in a row, won their first round game against a team from the Big East Conference (Providence in 2004, Pittsburgh in 2005). The league sent two teams to the NCAA's for the first time since 1993 when Long Beach State and New Mexico State both went to the tournament. The 49ers won the post-season tournament and the Aggies received an at-large bid. The 49ers tied for sixth place last year with a 7-11 league mark, winning six of its last seven Big West games to make the league tournament for the first time in three years.
#1-JIBRIL HODGES
•Closing in on 1,000 career points (946)
•Season-high 20 points vs. Maryland-Baltimore County
Hodges came off the bench in his last game to score a season-high 20 points in the win over UMBC. He was four-of-seven from three-point range in his 25 minutes of action. In his last two games he is averaging 19.0 points per game and shooting 8-14 (.571) from three-point range. He currently leads the team in scoring at 14.1 points per game and is shooting 25-66 (.379) overall from three-point range. Hodges has hit double digits in scoring in seven of the nine games. Hodges has hit at least one three-pointer in each game this season, knocking down a season-high five three's (5-11) at Sacramento State. In his last five games he is shooting .486 (18-37) from three-point range and that includes a one-for-seven performance against San Jose State. He is closing in on breaking the 1,000-point barrier as a 49er as he currently stands at 946. With 54 more points he will become the 15th player in 49er history to score 1,000 points. And, he will join his father on that coveted list as Craig Hodges ranks No. 5 all-time with 1,476 points. Hodges is currently second on the 49er career chart in three-pointers made (190) and three-pointers attempted (513). He needs just 22 more three's to pass Lucious Harris' (1989-93) career mark of 211 made three's.
#30-KEJUAN JOHNSON
•NCAA grants appeal on December 13
•17 points at Pepperdine in first game
Johnson had gotten off to a great start in his first two games for the 49ers. After scoring 17 points in his first game at Pepperdine, he followed that with 11 points, four rebounds and four assists in the win over UMBC. Johnson is currently averaging 14.0 points and 3.5 rebounds per game while shooting .533 (8-15) from the field and .800 (8-10) at the free throw line. After registering one assist and three turnovers in his first game, he had four assists and just one turnover against UMBC. Johnson became eligible on December 13 after his appeal to the NCAA to grant eligibility came through. Johnson comes from a great lineage as he is the nephew of former 49er great Lucious Harris. He had a stellar year at Long Beach City College last season, averaging 20.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game while being named first team All-State and MVP of the South Coast Conference South Division.
#55-AARON NIXON
•Third on team at 12.2 points per game
•Season-high 18 points at Sacramento State
After scoring gin double digits in his first seven game, Nixon has missed in his last two, scoring seven points against both Pepperdine and UMBC. Nixon is still third on the team in scoring at 12.2 points per game and is third on the team at 4.4 rebounds per outing. He had a season-high 18 points at Sacramento State and in the win over LMU he had 12 points, seven rebounds and four assists. His 22 assists are second-most on the team. Nixon has struggled from long-range in the early going as he stands at .290 (9-31) from three-point range. He is averaging a team-high 25.1 minutes played per game.
#3-SHAWN HAWKINS
•Season-high 19 points vs. LMU and Portland
•Perfect from field (6-6) against UMBC
Hawkins had a stellar game in the win over UMBC, finishing with 17 points and four rebounds. Hawkins was 6-6 from the field and 3-3 from three-point range. He stands fifth in scoring at 11.6 points per game and first in rebounding at 5.3 boards per game. Prior to his UMBC game he had averaged just 8.0 points per game in his previous three outings. Hawkins scored a season-high 19 points against both LMU and Portland. At Portland he also added six rebounds, five assists and two steals. He was 4-5 from three-point range in that contest. Against LMU he finished with 19 points and eight rebounds in the 49ers home win over the Lions.
#4-JAZZ HENDERSON
•Career-high 23 points at Sacramento State
•Third on team with 14 assists
In his first start as a 49er, Henderson had seven points and a career-best four assists against UMBC. Currently third on the team with 14 assists, Henderson had a big game at Sacramento State on December 5 where he scored a career-high 23 points, adding two rebounds and two assists in just 20 minutes of action. Henderson scored nine of the 49ers first 16 points of the second half, staking the 49ers to a 65-60 lead. He was 8-13 from the field and hit his first three-pointer of the season. Henderson stands at 7.3 points per game and is shooting .457 (21-46) from the field.
#20-KEVIN HOUSTON
•Leads team with 26 assists
•Has scored in double digits six times
Houston is off to a great start this season, averaging 12.0 points and 2.9 assists per game. He is tied for first in the Big West Conference in field goal percentage at .571 (40-70). Houston, who has scored in double figures in six of the nine games, had a season-low six points in the win over UMBC, but was two-of-two from three-point range. He tallied a season-high 17 points at Pepperdine, adding two assists and two rebounds. He was three-of-four from three-point range in the contest as well. In his last two games his is 5-6 (.833) from three-point range. Overall he is 9-22 (.409) from long-range. Heading into this season Houston was a .216 (22-102) career three-point shooter in his first two seasons. Houston had 16 points and four rebounds against San Jose State and 16 points and three assists in the win over Loyola Marymount. Heading into this season Houston had a career field goal percentage of .382 (132-346). Now it stands at .414 (172-416).
#21-MARK DAWSON
•Season-high's of 8 points and 9 rebounds at Pepperdine
•Leads team with 10 blocked shots
Dawson had his best game as a 49er at Pepperdine finishing with career-high's in points (8) and rebounds (9). Of his nine boards, five were on the offensive glass. He also had an assist and a blocked shot. In the win over UMBC he did not score, but led the team with six rebounds and added two steals in 15 minutes of action. He leads the team with 10 blocked shots this year, including three against San Francisco State. Overall he is averaging 3.0 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. He had just six points and six rebounds in his previous three games before the strong outing at Pepperdine. With a four-of-five performance from the floor at Pepperdine he is shooting an impressive .619 (13-21) from the field. In the season-opener at UNLV finished with four points and five rebounds in 16 minutes of action.
#44-DOMINIQUE RICKS
•Double-double at Sacramento State (18/10)
•Team-high 24 offensive rebounds
Ricks has struggled in his last three games, averaging 1.7 points and 3.7 rebounds per outing. All that has come after his best performance of the season at Sacramento State where he finished with career-high's for points (18), rebounds (10) and minutes played (23). Ricks was 6-7 from the field and 6-6 at the free throw line. For the year he is averaging 5.9 points and 5.1 rebounds per game while shooting .618 (21-34) from the field and .846 (11-13) at the free throw line. He had a big game at Cal earlier this season finishing with nine points and nine rebounds. Of his 46 total rebounds this year, 24 have come on the offensive glass. He ranks third in the Big West Conference averaging 2.67 offensive rebounds per game.
#15-STERLING BYRD
•Career-high 13 points vs. SFSU
•Leads Big West in 3-point shooting (.520)
Byrd continues to lead the team, and the Big West, in three-point field goal percentage standing at .520 (13-25). He has struggled some recently, hitting just one-of-eight shots from long-range in his last four games. Byrd scored a season-high 13 points in the win over San Francisco State and followed that with 12 points in the win over LMU. He grabbed a season-high five rebounds in both games as well. Against LMU he was 4-4 from three-point range in the 93-85 triumph. Overall Byrd is averaging 5.2 points and 2.6 rebounds per game. In his last four games though he has scored just five points. Overall this year Byrd is shooting .567 (17-30) from the field.
#2-LOUIS DARBY
•Season-high 5 points, 3 rebounds vs. SFSU
•Strong outings vs. UMBC
Darby had his best overall game in the win over UMBC finishing with four points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals in 13 minutes. Darby is currently averaging 2.7 points and 1.6 rebounds per game this season. Prior to the UMBC game he had scored just four points in the previous three games and was 0-12 from the field in those outings as well. In the win over San Francisco State he had a season-high five points and three rebounds. In the victory over LMU he had four points and two steals in 11 minutes of action. Darby continues to be one of the 49ers best free throw shooters, standing at .800 (16-20) this season.
#0-ONYE IBEKWE
•Season-high 9 points and 7 rebounds vs. LMU
•Hit 7-11 free throws vs. LMU
Ibekwe had his best game of the season against LMU, finishing with nine points and seven rebounds in 13 minutes of action. The nine points ties his season-high and the seven boards in a season-high. Ibekwe was 7-11 at the free throw line against LMU. In the recent win over UMBC he finished with seven points and three offensive rebounds. Against San Francisco State, Ibekwe was a perfect 3-3 from the field and added two assists and a block, finishing with nine points and six rebounds. He is currently averaging 4.7 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. Of his 27 total rebounds, 12 are on the offensive glass. He is shooting .474 (9-19) from the field thus far.
#11-ARTIS GANT
•Career-high 10 points vs. SFSU
•4-4 from 3-point range thus far
Gant had his first double-digit scoring game as a collegian when he tallied 10 points against San Francisco State. Gant also added a career-best four assists in 19 minutes of action. Against LMU he did not score in 13 minutes, but finished with two assists and a steal while playing outstanding defense. In the opener at UNLV he had five points, one assist and one steal in 11 minutes. Gant is averaging 2.3 points and 1.0 assists per game is a perfect 4-4 from three-point range. He is the lone freshman scholarship player this year out of Pasadena High School.
#32-DOMINIC FREEMAN
•Started at UNLV and Cal
•5 points and 2 rebounds at UNLV
Freeman has not played in the last two games for the 49ers. He had three rebounds at Sacramento State in 11 minutes of action. His best outing of the season was a three-point, three-rebound game vs. San Francisco State. In the UNLV game he had a strong opening game with five points, two rebounds and an assist in 10 minutes. At Cal he played just seven minutes, finishing with one rebound and one assist. He stands at 1.3 points and 1.7 rebounds per game and is shooting .600 (3-5) from the field. Of his 10 total rebounds this season, five are offensive.
#35-ULRIC PATTILLO
•2 points and 3 rebounds vs. SFSU
•Season-high 6 minutes of action vs. SFSU
Pattillo has played in two games this season (UNLV, SFSU). He played a season-high six minutes against San Francisco State finishing with two points, three rebounds and one assist. The three rebounds represents a career-high for him. Played two minutes at UNLV, taking one three-pointer and missing it. After missing last year due to a conflict with his academic schedule (Computer Engineering major), Pattillo rejoins the 49ers for 2005-06. A walk-on, Pattillo played in 11 games in 2003-04, scoring six points and grabbing two rebounds.
#24-BRICE GALLOW
•Saw first action of season vs. SFSU
Has played in two games (SFSU, Sacramento State). Was on the court for four minutes vs. San Francisco State and played 30 seconds at Sacramento State. Is yet to score or take a shot this season. Gallow is a walk-on out of Redondo Union High School. Gallow went through the fall "try-out" session and the coaches liked what they saw and offered him a spot on the team. His best statistical year as a prep came as a junior when he averaged 15 points and three assists per game. | 49ER CAREER 3-POINT LEADERS | | 1. Lucious Harris (1989-93), 211-583 | | 2. Jibril Hodges (2002-Present), 190-513 |
2005-06 Season Results
2005-06 Current Statistics
2005-06 Current Roster |
