Wednesday, December 21
Long Beach, Calif.
7 p.m.
Long Beach State University
6-6,0-0Big West
82
vs
75
Idaho
6-7,0-0Big Sky
1
2
F
Idaho
34
41
75
Long Beach St.
44
38
82
Long Beach State Wins Third Straight At Home To Close Non-Conference Play
12/21/2022 10:31:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Long Beach State held off Idaho 82-75 to pick up two wins on the week.
LONG BEACH, Calif. – Joel Murray had 19 points, including a clutch 3-pointer in the final minute to help Long Beach State outlast Idaho 82-75 to close non-conference play. Marcus Tsohonis added 18 and Lassina Traore finished with his second straight double-double with 10 points and 14 rebounds for the Beach.
Idaho (6-7) took an early lead behind a quick 3-pointer from Nigel Burris, but a three-point play from Aboubacar Traore put the Beach in front 7-5 and Long Beach State (6-6) never trailed again, but there was plenty of action in front of the teams.
Hot shooting from the Beach helped Long Beach State open up a big lead in the first half. Long Beach State hit their first six 3-pointers on the way to opening up a 40-20 lead with 5:54 remaining in the first half.
The Vandals responded with a run of their own, and cut the lead back to 10 at the half, at 44-34. The momentum stayed with Idaho in the early portion of the second half, as the Vandals pulled within one possession and then finally within one point at 52-51.
Long Beach State would find an answer each time though. Tsohonis buried a three to push the lead back to four on that occasion, and the Beach maintained a two-possession edge for morst of the rest of the game.
Idaho pulled back to within one at 70-69 with just over three minutes remaining, but Lassina Traore pushed the edge back to three. After a free throw made it 72-70, Aboubacar Traore hit his first career three with the shot clock winding down to push the lead to five.
Finally, with the Vandals back within one possession in the final minute, Murray buried a stepback three to push the lead back to five, and iced it with a pair of free throws in the 82-75 victory.
Long Beach State will play two home games to kick off the Big West campaign as the Beach looks to defend their conference crown. The Beach will host UC San Diego on December 29 before facing UC Riverside on December 31.
Idaho (6-7) took an early lead behind a quick 3-pointer from Nigel Burris, but a three-point play from Aboubacar Traore put the Beach in front 7-5 and Long Beach State (6-6) never trailed again, but there was plenty of action in front of the teams.
Hot shooting from the Beach helped Long Beach State open up a big lead in the first half. Long Beach State hit their first six 3-pointers on the way to opening up a 40-20 lead with 5:54 remaining in the first half.
The Vandals responded with a run of their own, and cut the lead back to 10 at the half, at 44-34. The momentum stayed with Idaho in the early portion of the second half, as the Vandals pulled within one possession and then finally within one point at 52-51.
Long Beach State would find an answer each time though. Tsohonis buried a three to push the lead back to four on that occasion, and the Beach maintained a two-possession edge for morst of the rest of the game.
Idaho pulled back to within one at 70-69 with just over three minutes remaining, but Lassina Traore pushed the edge back to three. After a free throw made it 72-70, Aboubacar Traore hit his first career three with the shot clock winding down to push the lead to five.
Joel Murray: CLUTCH. pic.twitter.com/avZtRs48ie
— LBSU Men's Basketball ?? (@LBSUMBB) December 22, 2022
Finally, with the Vandals back within one possession in the final minute, Murray buried a stepback three to push the lead back to five, and iced it with a pair of free throws in the 82-75 victory.
Long Beach State will play two home games to kick off the Big West campaign as the Beach looks to defend their conference crown. The Beach will host UC San Diego on December 29 before facing UC Riverside on December 31.
Team Stats
UI
LBSU
FG%
.456
.481
3FG%
.286
.526
FT%
.682
.667
RB
26
38
TO
14
17
STL
7
7
Game Leaders
Pts
21
FGM
7
3FGM
3
FTM
4
Pts
18
FGM
7
3FGM
2
FTM
2
Pts
10
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
4
Pts
10
FGM
2
3FGM
1
FTM
5
Players Mentioned
Guard
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