Long Beach State University Athletics
Beach Closes Gildan Charleston Classic With Oklahoma State
11/21/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Charleston, S.C. -
Complete LBSU Game Notes (Oklahoma State) 
Game: Oklahoma State vs. Long Beach State
Date: Sunday, November 22, 2015
Time: 4 p.m PST
Location: Charleston, S.C.
Arena: TD Arena (5,100)
TV: ESPNU
TV Talent: Doug Sherman, Dino Gaudio
Radio: KBEACH.org; HD 88.1-3
Radio Talent: Anthony Masterson
Webcast: WatchESPN
Live Stats: longbeachstate.com
RIGHT AWAY
• Long Beach State opened the Gildan Charleston Classic with an 80-77 win over Seton Hall, moving into the winner's bracket. The Beach then lost to No. 6 Virginia on Friday, setting up a meeting with Oklahoma State in the third-place game on Sunday, televised live on ESPNU at 4 p.m. PT.
• LBSU has opened the season 2-0 for the first time since 2011-12 -- the last time the Beach went to the NCAA Tournament ... The 2015-16 also marks the first time the team has opened the season 3-0 since the 1993-94 campaign.
• Long Beach State now has an 8-9 record in non-conference neutral site tournaments under Dan Monson, playing in five tournaments over his eight seasons. Over those five tournaments, the Beach has a winning record in over half, however, including reaching the finals of the Diamondhead Classic in 2011-12.
• Long Beach State picked up a big win on Monday night, holding on to beat BYU 66-65 in the Tip-Off Marathon. Three players scored in double-figures for the Beach, but it was the defense that led the way to the win, as Long Beach State forced 24 turnovers, the most for the Cougars since 2007.
THE PLAYERS
• For the first time since the 2006-07 season, entering head coach Dan Monson's first season at the Beach, the 49ers return no starters from the previous season. However, the Beach has a trio of talented transfers and a former starter entering the lineup that should shore up the team.
• Senior Nick Faust transfers in from Maryland, and the Beach gets a pair of sophomores in Gabe Levin from LMU and Roschon Prince from USC. Along with 2013-14 LBSU starter A.J. Spencer who missed 2014-15 with a knee injury. Combined the foursome averaged 33.8 points per game in 2013-14, and bring plenty of Division I experience to the Beach.
• Nick Faust is now just three points away from scoring 1,000 points over a four-year career at Maryland and Long Beach State. Faust has scored in double-figures in every game he's played for the 49ers.
• Faust leads the team in scoring, averaging 13.3 points per game, followed by Roschon Prince and junior Travis Hammonds, who are both averaging 10.3 points per game this season.
• The Beach has featured very balanced scoring this season however, with seven players averaging over seven points per game in 2015-16. In addition to Faust, Prince and Hammonds, Justin Bibbins (8.3 ppg), A.J. Spencer (7.5 ppg), Branford Jones (7.5 ppg), and Noah Blackwell (7.3 ppg) have all been consistent scoring threats.
• Two freshman really stood out over the first two games for Long Beach State. Noah Blackwell has scored in double-figures in both games, averaging 12.0 points over his first two games with the 49ers, while Mason Riggins is averaged 4.0 points and 3.5 rebounds over those first two games as an option in the post for LBSU.
• Junior Anson Moye will be a rotation candidate at the guard position for the Beach this season. Moye has played in 22 games over his first two seasons at Long Beach State, scoring 14 points in limited appearances.
• The 49ers have turned to other sports for reinforcements as well, adding sophomore Quentin Shropshire to the roster. The 6-6 forward has earned two letters with the Track and Field team at the Beach (as well as a pair of team Big West Championships) while competing in the high jump. After a tryout, Shropshire earned a spot on the team, where he has three years of eligibility remaining.
• Also looking to contribute this season is guard Alex Rifkind. A Boca Raton, Fla. native, Rifkind spent last season as a redshirt and got his first minutes at the Beach against BYU-Hawaii.
• Looking ahead, Long Beach State has one more Division I transfer in Evan Payne. The junior point guard must sit out the 2015-16 season after averaging 16.7 points per game over two seasons with Loyola Marymount.
THIS AND THAT
• With each win in 2015-16, Dan Monson increases his own record of career wins at Long Beach State. Monson, in his ninth season, passed two legends of the game and of LBSU last year, passing Seth Greenberg and Jerry Tarkanian to move into the top spot among the winningest coaches at the Beach.
• As usual under Dan Monson, Long Beach State will likely again have one of the most difficult non-conference schedules in the nation. Two opponents, Duke and Arizona, began the season in the Top 25, as did Virginia, who was the second round opponent for the Beach at the Gildan Charleston Classic. Five other teams on the LBSU schedule were receiving votes in the AP preseason poll.
• Over the past six seasons, Long Beach State has ranked no lower than sixth in non-conference strength of schedule, and the Beach has ranked in the top three in five of the last six years, including leading the nation in non-conference strength of schedule in 2012-13.
• Over the last two seasons, Long Beach State has broken its previous television exposure record - playing 21 games on TV in 2013-14 and then a program-record 25 in 2014-15. This season, the Beach is scheduled to hit the airwaves as many as 22 times entering the postseason. The TV journey began with ESPN's Tip-Off Marathon, which saw the 49ers host BYU on ESPN2.
