Slater’s Game-Winner Caps Huge Night For Long Beach State

Thursday, March 3

Long Beach, Calif.

7 p.m.

Long Beach State University

17-11,11-3Big West

UC Davis

12-9,5-5Big West

UC Davis

Long Beach St.

3/3/2022 10:43:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score - UC Davis

Men’s Basketball captures at least a share of the Big West championship and secures the No. 1 seed in next week’s Big West Tournament.

By: Roger Kirk, Associate Athletics Director, Communications & Broadcast

LONG BEACH, Calif. – Despite coming into the final seconds without making a basket, senior Colin Slater came through when it mattered, drilling a 3-pointer in the final seconds to give Long Beach State a 68-65 win and bring the Beach one step closer to the regular season Big West championship.

                Long Beach State (17-11, 11-3 Big West) got contributions throughout the lineup as the Beach held off a late UC Davis (12-9, 5-5 Big West) charge.

                The Beach was ice-cold in the first half, shooting 2-for-18 from three as UC Davis would take a seven-point lead into halftime, up 32-25. LBSU was led by eight first half points each from Joel Murray and Jordan Roberts, who set the Long Beach State games played record at the start of the contest, his 133rd representing the Beach.

                Freshman Jadon Jones caught fire in the second half, finishing the day with six 3-pointers, a season-high for LBSU. Drew Cobb also got going from outside, hitting two 3-pointers that helped cap a 9-2 run to put Long Beach State back in the lead.

                Long Beach State would lead by as many as seven at 60-53, but the Aggies immediately answered back with a 7-0 run to tie the game with just under four minutes to play. LBSU kept the lead on a fast-break basket from Roberts, and then pushed the lead to five on a massive putback dunk from Aboubacar Traore. Traore finished with his seventh double-double of the season, ending the game with 14 points and 14 rebounds.

Five straight free throws led UC Davis tie the game though with seven seconds to play, but despite Jones finishing with 21 points, it was Slater who called his own number and drilled the game-winner to once again fire up the raucous Walter Pyramid.

Long Beach State's victory along with the Cal State Fullerton loss to UC Riverside guaranteed the Beach at least a share of the regular season title and secures the No. 1 seed for LBSU in the upcoming Big West Conference Tournament.

The Beach will bid farewell to four seniors on Saturday and play to win Long Beach State's first outright title since 2012-13 with a victory over UC Riverside on Saturday at 4 p.m. Come early to recognize Joe Hampton, Drew Cobb, Colin Slater and Jordan Roberts in their final home game in the Walter Pyramid.