Beach Extends Winning Streak To Five Games At UC Riverside

Thursday, January 27

Riverside, Calif.

7 p.m.

Long Beach State University

9-9,4-1Big West

UC Riverside

10-6,3-2Big West

Long Beach St.

UC Riverside

Photo by: John Fajardo

1/27/2022 9:47:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score - UC Riverside

Freshman Aboubacar Traore had a double-double with 12 points and 23 rebounds in a group effort on the night.

By: Roger Kirk, Assistant Athletics Director, Athletic Communications

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Long Beach State led wire-to-wire but was challenged late on the road at UC Riverside in a 68-62 victory on Thursday night to extend their winning streak to five games.

                Freshman Aboubacar Traore continued to put up incredible numbers in rebounding, becoming the first player since 1961 for Long Beach State (9-9, 4-1 Big West) to grab 23 rebounds, and is now the first player in school history to record two games of 20+ rebounds in a career -- in just 18 games.

                Traore finished with a double-double, adding 12 points as part of a quartet in double-figures for Long Beach State. Colin Slater led the way with 16 points, while Jadon Jones added 14 and Joel Murray had 13 with five assists and five steals on the night.

                Long Beach State would take control of the contest early, starting the game on an 8-1 run and eventually opening up a twelve-point lead at 22-10 following a Jadon Jones 3-pointer. UC Riverside (10-6, 3-2 Big West) was able to keep the cushion from growing any further, however, and Long Beach State went into the halftime break on top 38-31.

Block and running the floor leads to the transition basket for Joe Hampton! Beach up by 11 early. #GoBeach pic.twitter.com/RTq8mrFs4Y
— LBSU Mens Basketball (@LBSUhoops) January 28, 2022

                Up 12 once more with just under 13 minutes to play at 52-40, a cold spell for Long Beach State spelled trouble for the Beach. The Beach went nearly ten minutes without a field goal, but held out defensively to keep the lead throughout even as the Highlanders slowly chipped into the LBSU cushion.

                A Traore putback finally snapped that streak to make the score 64-58 and set up the final two minutes.

                The Highlanders pulled to within two points at 64-62 in the final minute, but Slater hit a baseline jumper to push the lead back to multiple possessions, and Traore's 23rd and final rebound in the last ten seconds sealed the win along with a pair of Hampton free throws.

Slater with the key bucket here - Beach back up in the closing seconds!! #GoBeach pic.twitter.com/NnyfKBlcgG
— LBSU Mens Basketball (@LBSUhoops) January 28, 2022

Long Beach State will stay on the road for one more game, traveling to face UC Davis on Saturday. The game will be broadcast live on Spectrum SportsNet as the Big West Game of the Week as well as on ESPN+ and is set to tip at 1 p.m.