Long Beach State University
8-9, 2-2BWC
UC Santa Barbara
8-7, 3-2BWC
Defense leads The Beach to conference win over UCSB
1/14/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 14, 2010
LONG BEACH, Calif. - Long Beach State held UC Santa Barbara to just 17 points in the second half en route to a 67-47 Big West Conference win at the Walter Pyramid Thursday night.
Long Beach played stifling defense most of the game, but especially in the second half when the 49ers held the Gauchos (8-7, 3-2 Big West) to just 6-of-28 shooting (21.4 percent). UCSB finished the game making just 16-of-49 shots (32.7 percent) while committing 29 turnovers. Long Beach State (8-9, 2-2 Big West) took advantage outscoring the Gauchos 28-15 off turnovers.
The game was close at half with The Beach leading 32-30. UCSB came out and tied the score on a shot by Jaime Serna but then Long Beach State went on a 12-0 run over the next 4:16 to take command of the game.
Senior Stephan Gilling started the deciding run with a 3-pointer with 18:23 to play. Sophomore Larry Anderson added a basket at the 17:50 mark, before sophomore T.J. Robinson scored with 16:53 to go to push the lead to 39-32. LBSU kept the run going when sophomore Casper Ware canned a three to make it a 10-point game. Anderson capped the run with a basket with 14:54 in the game.
LBSU would stretch the lead to as many as 14 with 11:40 to play on a layup by junior Greg Plater, but UCSB went on a 7-0 run of its own to cut the lead to seven at the 10:28 mark.
The lead didn't stay in single digits long. Long Beach State answered with an 8-0 run of its own to push the lead back to 15. Robinson started the run with a basket, Ware added a jumper before Robinson scored on back-to-back possessions.
James Powell stopped the Long Beach State run with a jumper, but The Beach responded with another 11-0 run to clinch the win.
Robinson led LBSU with 19 points and 12 rebounds, his 10th double-double of the year and 15th of his career. Ware added 13 points and five assists with no turnovers in the final 34:31 of the game. Anderson chipped in 10 points, while Stephan Gilling added nine points and a career-high five assists.
Orlando Johnson led UCSB with 10 points, but just two in the last 30 minutes and 58 seconds of the game.
