Long Beach State University
6-8, 0-1
UC Riverside
7-6, 1-0
Beach loses on a last second shot in overtime
1/2/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 2, 2010
RIVERSIDE, Calif. - Poor free throw shooting and foul trouble doomed Long Beach State Saturday night as the 49ers lost their Big West Conference opener 69-67 in overtime at UC Riverside.
The Beach (6-8, 0-1 Big West) finished the game making just 17-of-35 (48.6 percent) free throws in the game. But it was the second half and overtime where LBSU really let the game slip away at the line. The 49ers missed nine of their last 13 from the line, including nine in a row at one point. Long Beach State finished the second half and overtime making just 15-of29 from the stripe.
It was a team problem from the free throw line. T.J. Robinson was 4-of-10 from the line (2-of-7 in the second half), Eugene Phelps was 2-of-6 (all in the second half), Larry Anderson finished 2-of-6 (1-for-4 in overtime), Casper Ware was 5-of-6 but missed one in overtime, and Stephan Gilling was 0-for-1 (a second half miss).
Foul trouble plagued the 49ers early in the second half. Both Phelps and Anderson picked up their fourth fouls in the first three minutes after the break and spent a long stretch on the bench as UCR (7-6, 1-0 Big West) overcame a halftime deficit. Phelps' fourth came on a technical foul at the 18:02 mark after he was whistled for his third foul trying to grab an offensive rebound.
It wasn't just Long Beach State that collected fouls, as 47 fouls were called forcing both teams into a sloppy game that the Highlanders eventually won on a last-second shot by Larry Gurganious in overtime that capped a 48-39 scoring advantage for UCR after halftime.
Long Beach State built a double-digit lead late in the first half thanks mostly to some stingy defense. The Beach held the Highlanders to just six points, on one basket and four free throws, in the final 9:45 of the half. And the 49ers pushed the lead to 11, the biggest lead by either team, with 1:38 to play on a 3-pointer by Greg Plater.
The 49ers couldn't carry the momentum into the half allowing UCR to score the last four points of the half and pull within seven at the break. LBSU did hold UCR to 24.1 percent (7-of-29) shooting in the first half, including 11.1 percent (1-of-11) from three. The Highlanders stayed in the game making six free throws and by forcing nine LBSU first-half turnovers.
It was more free throws for the Highlanders after the intermission. They scored 16 of their 42 points in the second half at the free throw line, while also scoring from the floor much easier where they shot 55.6 percent (15-of-27) in the second half. UCR also made 3-of-6 shots from the floor in overtime.
Greg Plater and Ware led Long Beach State with 17 points apiece, while Robinson had 16 points and 10 rebounds. The Beach committed seven more turnovers than UCR. Kyle Austin led the Highlanders with 20 points and seven boards, while Gurganious had 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
