Long Beach State University Athletics
Long Beach State Closes Regular Season At UC Riverside
3/6/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Long Beach, Calif. -
Complete LBSU Game Notes (UCR) 
Game: Long Beach State at UC Riverside
Date: Saturday, March 7, 2015
Time: 5:00 p.m.
Location: Riverside, Calif.
Arena: SRC Arena (2,753)
TV: None
TV Talent: None
Radio: KBEACH.org; HD 88.1-3
Radio Talent: Anthony Masterson
Webcast: bigwest.org/tv
Live Stats: gohighlanders.com
RIGHT AWAY
• Long Beach State closes out the regular season with a trip to UC Riverside Saturday at 5 p.m. The 49ers are locked into the (4) seed at the Big West Tournament, and will open play at 2:30 p.m. next Thursday. The Rainbow Warriors will be the likely opponent for the 49ers, but if Hawai'i falls at Cal State Fullerton and LBSU loses at UCR on Saturday, the 49ers will have a rematch with the Highlanders in the quarterfinals next Thursday.
• Senior Mike Caffey leads the 49ers in 2014-15, averaging 16.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. The senior was named to the Lou Henson Award Midseason Watch List, an award given to the top mid-major player in the country. Caffey ranks fifth in scoring in the Big West, second in steals, and is fourth in assists while gunning for a third first-team All-Big West selection.
• Saturday, Caffey will tie Casper Ware, T.J. Robinson and Eugene Phelps for the program record in games played with 131 in a Long Beach State uniform. He also needs 13 rebounds in the remaining games to join College Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee Ed Ratleff as the only 49ers to record 1,500 points, 500 rebounds and 400 assists at the Beach.
• David Samuels has been a force in Big West play. The senior set a career high with 22 points against Cal State Fullerton, one game after making a career high 16 rebounds at CSUN in two standout efforts. Through 15 games, Samuels has five double-doubles and has reached double-figures in rebounding seven times. The senior is leading the conference in rebounding in Big West action, and is averaging nearly a double-double in league play at 12.6 points and 9.4 rebounds per game.
• The primary indicator of success this season for the Beach is who can join Caffey and Samuels in sharing the scoring load. Long Beach State is now 13-5 when three or more players hit the 10-point mark, but just 2-11 when only one or two players hit double-figures.
THE PLAYERS
• Senior Tyler Lamb is averaging 8.3 points and 3.7 rebounds per game in 2014-15 with the 49ers, third in scoring and third in rebounding on the season. The senior is also 30 points away from reaching 1,000 points combined at UCLA and Long Beach State.
• Forward David Samuels has started each game in his senior season after starting 29 games for the Beach as a junior college transfer last season. Samuels has eight double-doubles with the Beach, and is averaging 10.5 points and 7.2 rebounds per game this season, leading the team in rebounding and sitting second in scoring.
• McKay LaSalle has come on strong in Big West play, and now ranks fourth on the team in scoring in Big West play at 7.7 points per game. LaSalle is shooting 41.3% from beyond the arc through 15 league games, and has made 53 total on the year, second on the team behind Mike Caffey.
• Branford Jones has adjusted to a number of roles this season, averaging 7.1 points per game. The sophomore has started in 12 games, and is second on the team in assists and steals behind Mike Caffey with 57 assists and 33 steals on the season.
• Travis Hammonds scored 16 points in his first start of the season, and the sophomore is now third on the team in scoring during Big West play, averaging 8.0 points and 3.1 rebounds per game over 14 conference games.
ABOUT UC RIVERSIDE
• UC Riverside is in the thick of the Big West picture this season, standing in sixth place with a 7-8 league record. The Highlanders need some help to move into fifth place in the league, but boast wins over UC Irvine, Hawai'i, and UCSB this season in Big West play.
• Taylor Johns has been the best player for the Highlanders, putting up a likely first-team All-Big West effort with 16.5 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. Fellow junior Jaylen Bland has also had an excellent season, averaging 15.7 points per game, second on the team.
• Johns and Bland are combining for 32.9 points per game in Big West play and splitting the load right down the middle with Bland averaging 16.5 and Johns averaging 16.4.
• The pair are also leading the Big West in minutes played in league play. Bland almost never comes out, averaging 37.20 minutes per game, while Johns is averaging 35.33. The game will feature the top three players in minutes played this season in Big West play, as LBSU's Mike Caffey is third, averaging 34.60 minutes per game.
• Caffey scored 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting with five assists, and David Samuels had a double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds as the 49ers star duo won the matchup with UCR's, despite 18 points each from Johns and Bland in a 68-63 win in the Walter Pyramid in this season's earlier matchup with UC Riverside.
UP NEXT
• Long Beach State will face their first opponent of the Big West Tournament in the quarterfinals at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 5.
