Long Beach State University Athletics
Long Beach State University
(9-12, 3-3)
UC Riverside
(11-11, 2-4)
UC Riverside Holds Off Long Beach State 74-72
1/23/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Box Score (PDF) | Box Score (HTML)
Riverside, Calif. - Sophomore Gabe Levin tied a career high with 20 points while adding seven rebounds, but a hot-shooting Long Beach State was unable to slow down UC Riverside enough to capture the win, falling 74-72 on the road.
Long Beach State (9-12, 3-3 Big West) shot 54.2 percent from the floor, the second-best shooting night of the season for the 49ers, but allowed UC Riverside (11-11, 2-4 Big West) to also shoot over 50% as the Highlanders erased an early lead from the Beach.
Justin Bibbins buried a three to open the scoring Saturday, and Long Beach State opened up a 10-0 lead over the first three minutes of play at the SRC Arena, as big scoring runs defined the first half in Riverside.
The Highlanders ran off a 12-2 run to tie the game at 12, but then the 49ers went on a 15-2 run of their own, taking a 13 point lead after a 3-pointer from Nick Faust.
With Long Beach State up 11, a quick sequence from the Highlanders pulled UC Riverside back into the game, as Secean Johnson hit a three and then had a fast-break dunk after a turnover, and after another LBSU turnover, a Jaylen Bland trey cut the lead to three at 31-28. UC Riverside would eventually pull in front at the half 38-37 with another 3-pointer from Bland.
Both teams continued to trade baskets through the second half, as Taylor Johns and Levin each led the way for their respective squads. Johns eventually put the Highlanders up five at 70-65, part of his 18 second-half points with 4:32 to play.
Long Beach State answered with a better defensive stretch, pulling back with some Bibbins free throws, as finally a bucket from Leven tied the game at 71-71 with 2:38 remaining. Both Bland and Bibbins hit one of two free throws in ensuing possessions, but Johns would have the final say, putting in a basket from the post to give the Highlanders a 74-72 lead with 53 seconds remaining.
An answering shot from Levin was blocked by UC Riverside, and a final effort in the closing seconds from Long Beach State came up short as the 49ers fell for the sixth time in 2015-16 by five points or fewer.
Levin's 20-point effort was a season high and tied the most points in his career, as the sophomore became the fifth different 49er to score 20 points this season. Bibbins added 14 points with four assists, while A.J. Spencer and Noah Blackwell also ended up in double figures 13 and 11 points respectively.
Johns had 26 points to lead the way for UC Riverside, while Bland added 16 points on 5-of-9 shooting from beyond the arc.
Long Beach State returns to the Walter Pyramid next week, hosting UC Santa Barbara on Thursday, January 28. Tip-off for that game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m., and will be televised live on Fox Sports Prime Ticket.
