Long Beach State University
8-6 (1-0)
UC Irvine
4-10 (1-1)
49ers open Big West play with 74-60 win at UC Irvine
1/2/2012 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 2, 2012
CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS, COURTESY OF GAZETTESSPORTS.COM
IRVINE, Calif. - Casper Ware led four 49ers in double figures with 19 points as Long Beach State handed UC Irvine a 74-60 loss in the Big West Conference opener for LBSU at the Bren Events Center on Monday night.
The win highlighted a night of milestones for the 49ers. Senior T.J. Robinsonfinished with 14 points and 13 rebounds, his 44th career double-double. He became just the fourth player in Big West history, and the first at Long Beach State, to score 1,000 points and grab 1,000 rebounds when he corralled his 11th rebound late in the second half. He joins Tony Neal (Cal State Fullerton), Stacey Augmon (UNLV) and Greg Grant (Utah State) as the only players in conference history to reach both milestones.
Senior Larry Anderson, who scored 13 points and handed out four assists, grabbed his 500th career rebound (finished with three boards for the game) during the game to join Ed Ratleff and Lucious Harris as the only players in LBSU history to score 1,000 points, grab 500 rebounds and hand out 300 assists during their 49er careers.
Ware, who was the first player in Big West history to win both the conference player of the year and defensive player of the year honors in the same season last year, scored 13 of his 19 points in the second half to push LBSU (8-6, 1-0 Big West) to the win. He made 8-of-12 shots, including 6-of-8 in the second half, and had four steals.
Freshman Mike Caffeyadded 10 points, all in the first half. It was his second career double-digit scoring game, with both coming in the last four games.
Long Beach State finished the game making 31-of-60 shots (51.7 percent) despite going just 4-of-16 (25 percent) from three. LBSU also struggled at the line where it sank just 8-of-18 free throws (44.4 percent).
UC Irvine (4-10, 1-1 Big West) went 22-of-50 (40 percent) from the floor, but hung around thanks to a 9-of-21 (42.9 percent) night from 3-point range. The Anteaters committed 18 turnovers, helped in part by seven LBSU steals.
UC Irvine got out to a quick start. After Phelps (8 points) scored to put the 49ers up 2-0, UCI ran off eight straight points thanks to a pair of 3-pointers by Chris McNealy and Daman Starring. UCI connected on 3-of-6 shots, including 2-of-3 threes while LBSU made just two of its first seven shots.
The 49ers scored the next six points, tying it on a steal and breakaway layup by Ware, but UCI answered hitting another three to regain the lead. The Anteaters scored seven of the next nine points to take a 15-10 lead with 11:41 to play.
Long Beach State continued to struggle from the floor for most of the first half. The 49es converted on just nine of their first 24 shots and missed their first seven 3-pointers before Caffey canned a three from the top of the key with 3:36 to play in the half.
LBSU finally regained the lead late in in the first half, the 49ers first lead since 2-0. Anderson scored and was fouled to get within one. He missed the free throw, but Robinson rebounded the miss and scored to give the 49ers a 26-25 lead with two minutes to play.
UCI answered with a three by Starring, UCI's fourth of the half, to regain the lead. Caffey answered with another three for the Niners, before the Anteaters got back-to-back baskets to pull back ahead by three. Robinson scored with seven second left to get LBSU within one, 32-31 at the break.
Caffey led Long Beach State with his 10 first-half points on 4-of-6 shooting. He went 2-of-3 from three, making the 49ers only 3-pointers (2-of-8) in the half. Robinson added seven points and seven boards, while Ware had six points and two steals. LBSU finished the half making 46.4 percent (13-of-28) shots.
Starring and McNealy led UCI with 10 points each as the Eaters made 13-of-27 shots and 4-of-8 three pointers. UCI also out-rebounded LBSU 17-14 in the half, but turned the ball over nine times.
Long Beach State finally built a lead of more than two points before UCI got the ball in the second half. Robinson scored and was fouled to put the 49ers up 33-31 on the team's first possession. He missed the free throw, but the 49ers got the offensive rebound which led to a James Ennishoop to give LBSU a 35-32 lead.
LBSU started the half with a 9-2 run building the lead to 40-34 with 15:48 to play. Ennis (7 points) capped the spurt with a break-away jam forcing a UCI timeout.
Ware sparked LBSU scoring 11 points in the first 10 minutes and 20 seconds of the second half, while Anderson scored seven in the first 6:50 as LBSU built a 59-47 lead with 7:58 to play.
Anderson added another hoop with 7:40 to play to make it 61-47 before Mike Wilder cut the lead to 11 with a three. LBSU retaliated with a follow by Robinson and a three by Ennis to push the lead to 16. Robinson added another hoop to get the lead to 18, 68-50.
Ware eventually made it a 21-point game, the 49ers biggest lead, with a steal and a jam. Long Beach State outscored UCI 43-28 in the second half en route to the win.
The 49ers return to action Thursday against Cal Poly with their conference home opener at 7 p.m. at the Walter Pyramid. The 49ers have won 14 straight in the Pyramid.
