Long Beach State University Athletics
Long Beach State University
6-18 overall
Cal State Bakersfield
8-17 overall
49ers Fall At Bakersfield
2/20/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 20, 2008
BAKERSFIELD -- Despite the fact that three players either tied or broke their career scoring high's for Long Beach State, the 49ers dropped a tough 77-71 contest at Cal State Bakersfield on Saturday evening. The 49ers, who were led by Dononvan Morris' career-high tying 32 points, fell to 6-18 on the year. The Roadrunner improved to 8-17 on the season, snapping a four-game losing streak.
Junior Maurice Clady had a career-high 17 points for Long Beach State and Arturas Lazdauskas added a career-best 12 points, but only four players scored for the 49ers as Greg Plater was the other player to score in the contest finishing with 10 points. The 49ers shot .481 (26-54) from the field for the game and had just nine turnovers in the contest, their second-lowest total of the year.
The 49ers led 66-65 with 2:03 remaining, but the Roadrunners hit nine-of-10 free throws in the final 1:15 and 15-of-17 in the second half, to come away with the win. CSUB out-scored the 49ers 12-5 over the final two minutes of the contest.
CS Bakersfield had four players tally double figures, as Trent Blakley had 18 points, Zack Grasmick 17 and Terrence Johns 14. The Roadrunners shot .462 (24-52) from the field and connected on seven-of-15 three-pointers. CSUB out-rebounded the 49ers 34-to-28. Demarcus Hall led the Roadrunners with 10 boards.
Morris scored 17 of his 32 points in the first half, but the 49ers headed into the lockerroom on the short end of a 35-34 score. Long Beach trailed 13-10 early on, but put together a 9-0 run to take a 19-13 lead at 13:28 after two Morris free throws. The 49ers biggest lead of the half was seven points, 28-21 at 5:27, but the Roadrunner used a 10-0 run to take back the lead, 31-28. Morris scored 15 of Long Beach's first 21 points, but managed just two points over the final 11 minutes of the half. Long Beach shot .480 (12-25) from the field, but were 1-8 from three-point range. Bakersfield's comeback was fueled by strong rebounding as the Roadrunners out-rebounded the 49ers 22-to-12 in the opening 20 minutes.
The 49ers will next be in action on Wednesday, February 20 when they host first place Cal State Northridge at 7 pm in the Walter Pyramid.
