Long Beach State Races Off To Great Start In Win At DePaul

Saturday, November 11

Chicago, Ill.

7 p.m. PT

Long Beach State University

1-1,0-0Big West

DePaul

0-2,0-0Big East

Long Beach St.

DePaul

Photo by: John Fajardo

11/11/2023 10:03:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score - DePaul

Marcus Tsohonis led the Beach with 22 points while Lassina Traore finished with a double-double.

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

CHICAGO – Long Beach State had a 17-0 run in the first half as part of a dominant first 20 minutes, and the Beach found enough big plays from their veterans to hold off a charge from the home team in the second half to come away with a 77-73 win over DePaul.

                For Long Beach State (1-1), the win in Chicago marked the second straight Big East win for the program, as the Beach defeated Providence in the last tilt of the Big East vs. Big West for LBSU.

                DePaul (0-2) scored the first basket of the game, but Long Beach State answered with an 8-0 run, sparked by stifling defense that lasted through the first half as the Beach held the Blue Demons to just 24 percent shooting and only 21 points.

                The big push for Long Beach State came as part of a 17-0 run capped by a transition three from Jadon Jones, giving the Beach a 33-11 lead on the way to a 37-21 halftime edge.

                Long Beach State finished with a 45-28 rebounding edge, helped by 15 offensive rebounds that offset DePaul chipping away at the LBSU lead. That came in the midst of a great individual battle between Marcus Tsohonis and DePaul's Elijah Fisher, who finished with 25 points.

                Tsohonis had 22 points himself, however, including 18 in the second half to help keep pace for the Beach as Depaul turned around their offensive output. A Fisher basket brought the Long Beach State lead back to single digits with just under 14 minutes to play and the cushion would hover around six for most of the rest of the contest.

                An Aboubacar Traore putback kept the lead at six points with 1:15 to play, but two K.T. Raimey 3-pointers kept the Blue Demons within striking distance in the final minute. Jones knocked down a pair of free throws with 12 seconds left to keep the lead at three, and a final stop and rebound for the Beach grabbed an early signature win, the 12th Power 6 conference win coming under Dan Monson.

                Junior Lassina Traore finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds for his first double-double of the season, while Aboubacar was close with 12 points and 9 rebounds to go with two blocks. Jones had four steals while leading the defensive effort for the Beach.

                The road swing continues for Long Beach State who will face two high-profile opponents next week, traveling to face last year's NCAA finalists San Diego State before playing Michigan for the first time since the 2013 season.