Men's Basketball Looks To Keep Winning In Road Return To UC San Diego

Photo by: John Fajardo

Men's Basketball Looks To Keep Winning In Road Return To UC San Diego

1/20/2023 2:50:00 PM | Men's Basketball

The Beach dropped the home contest against the Tritons in overtime on a buzzer-beater.

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

See attachment for complete Long Beach State Game Notes.

Game:............................ Long Beach State at UC San Diego
Date:.......................................... Saturday, January 21, 2023
Time:............................................................................ 3 p.m.
Location:......................................................... La Jolla, Calif.
Arena:................................................ Liontree Arena (4,000)
TV:............................................ Spectrum SportsNet/ESPN+
TV Talent:...................................... Steve Quis, Martin Behar
Webcast:.................................................................... ESPN+
Radio:.............................................................................. N/A
Live Stats:.............................................. beachlivestats.com

RIGHT AWAY
• The Beach will look to avenge an overtime defeat this week as the Beach travels to UC San Diego to face the Tritons on the road. Saturday's game in La Jolla will also be simulcast on Spectrum SportsNet in addition to being carried live on ESPN+.

• Thursday's meeting between rivals Long Beach State and Cal State Fullerton is the first time the two teams have met since clashing in the Big West Tournament Championship last season, when the Titans edged out the Beach by one point to advance to the NCAA Tournament, while the regular season champs Long Beach State moved on to compete in the NIT for the 8th time in program history.

• Coming out of the Ivory Coast, Long Beach State's dynamic inside duo of Aboubacar Traore and Lassina Traore continue to rank 1 and 2 in the rebounding rankings of the Big West. Lassina leads the league with 9.4 rebounds per game, while Aboubacar is second at 8.9. Reunited over 7,000 apart from where they met as high school teammates and friends in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, Lassina Traore joins Aboubacar Traore at the Beach where the pair have been the starting frontcourt for LBSU in every game this season.

• Lassina Traore and Aboubacar Traore have combined for 16 double-doubles so far this season, over 25% of the double-doubles of the Big West this season. Lassina recently put up three straight, capped by scoring a career-high 22 points with 13 boards on the road at UCI, the sixth player since 2018 for Long Beach State to put up 20/10 in a game. Aboubacar Traore has added seven double-doubles, also ranking among the NCAA leaders this season, most recently last Saturday when he scored 16 points and led the team with 11 rebounds at Hawai'i.

• Long Beach State continues to feature a fast-paced offense, ranking 3rd nationally in average tempo according to Ken Pomeroy. The Beach have also hounded teams on defense, leading the Big West in both steals at 7.8 per game.

NEWS & NOTES
• The Beach have been very effective inside, averaging over 40 points per game in the paint and currently rank second in the nation in percentage of points from 2-pointers, working effectively in both transition and from the halfcourt in getting productive shots.

• Long Beach State opened the season with a key non-conference road win, traveling to Riverside and coming away with a 79-64 win over California Baptist. Lassina Traore debuted with a double-double, leading the way for LBSU with 13 points and 12 rebounds Jadon Jones shared in the team lead with 13 points as well, while Tone Hunter dished out six assists in his Division I debut.

• The Beach had a busy Feast Week, where the team played three games as part of Baha Mar Hoops from the Bahamas. Long Beach State claimed third place at that tournament, going 2-1 with victories over good mid-major programs in Oakland and Vermont.

• Against Life Pacific, the Beach set new highs in points (97) rebounds (61) and assists (31) in a dominant win over Life Pacific that saw both Traores finish with double-doubles and five players score in double-figures in a 97-52 victory in the first home game for Long Beach State in over three weeks.

PLAYER NOTES
• Marcus Tsohonis enters Saturday as Long Beach State's leading active scorer, averaging 12.1 points per game. A seasoned Division I transfer with experience at VCU and Washington, Tsohonis has scored over 20 points twice, including a season-high 23 points in a key non-conference win against Vermont at Baha Mar Hoops. Tsohonis led the team off of the bench in the last outing for the Beach, scoring 17 in a home win over Cal State Fullerton.

• The reigning Big West Defensive Player of the Year, Jadon Jones has 23 steals and 11 blocks despite missing four games earlier this year, and ranks in the Top 10 in the Big West in both categories in league play. Leading the Beach in 3-pointers made this season, Jones is shooting 33.8 percent from three, and is averaging 8.8 points per game as an all-around threat for the Beach. Jones became the 18th player at LBSU to hit 100 career 3-pointers and can rapidly climb that list this season, currently tied for 12th in school history as a sophomore.

• Aboubacar Traore set the modern era record for Long Beach State with 23 rebounds in a game as a true freshman, and has started off the new season again among the rebounding leaders for the Beach and the Big West. Averaging 8.9 rebounds per game, Traore is also averaging 9.7 points per game, an increase on his output from his freshman season while recording seven double-doubles, including 16 points and 16 rebounds at USC.

• Lassina Traore, a Division I transfer from Saint Louis, has picked up nine double-doubles and has started every game this season. Traore is averaging 11.0 points and 9.4 rebounds per game at the Beach, leading the league in rebounding. Three times already this season Lassina Traore has grabbed 16 rebounds, matching the best in the Big West in 2022-23 with his career-high.

• Sophomore Tone Hunter has taken an increased role and is now serving as the team's primary point guard. Hunter was a prolific junior college scorer, averaging 17.8 points per game as a true freshman, and is averaging 6.5 points per game and averaging 2.8 assists per game as well, second-most on the team. Hunter has started since January 12 against Cal Poly at point, and scored in double-figures in back-to-back contests against Cal Poly and Hawai'i.

• Redshirt freshman AJ George has been pressed into the starting lineup due to injuries at the Beach, and has stepped up. In his first season, George is averaging 6.8 points and 2.5 rebounds per game. George has started in 11 games, and is shooting a very good .578 percentage from the field on the year.

• Also on the wing, Tobias Rotegaard had his best game of the season, leading Long Beach State in scoring with 16 points off the bench at Utah Valley. Third on the team in 3-pointers made this season, Rotegaard has played in all but one game for LBSU, now in his second season at the Beach.

• In the frontcourt, a pair of junior college transfers have made an immediate impact. 6-11 Chayce Polynice is averaging 3.7 points per game after reaching double figures for the second time with 16 points against Saint Katherine. Amari Stroud has also played a big role, averaging 4.5 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. Both players are active big men who complement the up-tempo pace favored by the team.

• Senior Joel Murray led Long Beach State in scoring this season at 15.7 points per game while also contributing 3.8 assists per game. A first-team All-Big West selection a season ago, Murray scored in double-figures in all but two games played this season and was averaging over 17 points per game in league play, but was injured against at UC Irvine on January 7. There is currently no timeline for his return.

• Among the reserves, Jeffrey Yan has played in 43 games over five years at the Beach, bringing a veteran presence to Long Beach State's forward depth. Son of head coach Dan Monson, Maddox Monson has also featured this season in a depth role, while Jason Hart Jr., Matt Fegurgur and Shaumba Ngoyi are slated to redshirt this season.