Top Of The Standings Clash Saturday Pits CSUN Against Long Beach State At 1 p.m.

LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Long Beach State has won six straight and returns to the Walter Pyramid in a top of the Big West standings clash with CSUN. Simulcast on Spectrum SportsNet and ESPN+, tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday, December 30.

Game:....................................... Long Beach State vs. CSUN
Date:...................................... Saturday, December 30, 2023
Time:............................................................................ 1 p.m.
Location:.................................................. Long Beach, Calif.
Arena:............................................... Walter Pyramid (4,200)
TV:......................................................... Spectrum SportsNet
TV Talent:................................ Jason Schwartz, Dave Miller
Webcast:.................................................................... ESPN+
Radio:............................................................. 22 West Radio
Live Stats:.............................................. beachlivestats.com

• There are only eight teams nationally sharing the NCAA road wins lead with five true road wins, and Saturday's contest features two of them in Long Beach State and CSUN. LBSU enters Saturday with wins on the road at Michigan, USC, DePaul, CS Fullerton and Montana State this season. The three power conference wins is the most in the non-conference under Dan Monson; the Beach has previously won two power conference games in 2011, 2014, and 2017. In the Monson era, Long Beach State has 15 wins against power conference opponents. Meanwhile, The Matadors boast key wins over UCLA and Pacific and opened Big West action with a win at Cal Poly.

• The Beach closed the non-conference schedule with a record of 8-4. That was the best winning percentage for the Beach since a 7-4 record in the 2006-07 NCAA tournament season, and the most wins since an 8-3 non-conference in 1999-2000.

• Winners of six straight, Long Beach State stole the national spotlight with a 84-79 OT win on the road at USC. Senior Marcus Tsohonis led the team with 28 points while Jadon Jones added 18 in the win over the Trojans, the first since 2013 for LBSU and the first since 1987 in Los Angeles.

• Tsohonis has brought his best against the best, scoring 35 points in a win at Michigan and now 28 in last Sunday's win at USC. The senior passed 1,000 career points scored across stretches at Washington, VCU and Long Beach State and has twice scored 30 or more in two seasons at LBSU. The team's leading scorer at 17.7 points per game, Tsohonis set a program record with 46 points in a triple overtime win at UCSD last season.

• Long Beach State has won three straight at home after eight straight away from the Walter Pyramid to start the season, grabbing wins over Sacramento State, Life Pacific and Cal State Dominguez Hills. The Beach have won seven of their last eight games and have scored 80 or more seven times as well.

NEWS & NOTES
• The Beach went 4-4 in the team's eight-game road swing to start the year, picking up wins over DePaul, Iona, Montana State and a signature 94-86 win on the road at Michigan. Marcus Tsohonis had a game-high 35 points while Lassina Traore finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds to key the win over the Wolverines. The win was the sixth victory over Big Ten competition in program history, and the first coming in a true road game as Long Beach State rallied to defeat Michigan.

• The Beach returns all five starters from a season ago and returns nine letterwinners. That returning core leaves Long Beach State as one of the favorites in the conference starting the year, picked second in the Preseason Big West Coaches Poll. The Beach is also receiving votes in the Mid-Major Top 25 to open the season.

• In total, Long Beach State returns over 75 percent of their scoring and rebounding and over 90 percent of their blocked shots from a season ago, one of just a handful of about 15 programs to return over 75% of a teams scoring in the NCAA. The Beach has relied on that group this season, ranking 11th nationally in minutes continuity this season.

• Long Beach State legend Larry Anderson has joined the coaching staff as the team's third assistant. One of the "Fab Four" for the Beach that started for four straight years leading to the 2011-12 NCAA Tournament appearance, Anderson is the program's steals record holder and ranks in the Top 10 in career scoring, rebounding and assists at LBSU as one of the best all-around players to ever put on the uniform at Long Beach State.

• Long Beach State plays a fast, exciting brand of basketball showcased by the team's tempo, which is one of the quickest in the nation, currently 17th in the country as ranked by Ken Pomeroy.

PLAYER NOTES
• Coming out of the Ivory Coast, Long Beach State's dynamic inside duo of Aboubacar Traore and Lassina Traore ranked 1 and 2 in the rebounding for the Big West in 22-23. Reunited over 7,000 miles apart from where they met as youth national teammates and friends in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, the duo have served as the starting frontcourt in the majority of games they have played together at LBSU. Both were named to the Big West Preseason All-Conference team entering the year. The duo currently rank first and fourth in the Big West in rebounding in 2022-23.

• Long Beach State has had three 20/20 games over the last 40 years, with both Lassina and Aboubacar each garnering the achievement along with Michael Zeno in 1983. Aboubacar's came this season with a 23 point, 22 rebound, 6 assist night in a win on the road at Cal State Fullerton, while Lassina had 22 points and 20 rebounds against UC Davis last March.

• Lassina Traore was selected as First Team All-Big West and was chosen the Big West Newcomer of the Year after a dominant first season at the Beach. Traore also earned NABC All-District honors, finishing the season with 17 double-doubles which ranked 9th in the nation. Traore is one of just 10 returning players in the NCAA to average a double-double a season ago, and is averaging 11.8 points and 10.2 rebounds this season with 7 double-doubles on the year.

• As a junior, Aboubacar Traore continues to fill the stat sheet in his third season at Long Beach State. Traore, who set the modern-era record at LBSU with 23 rebounds in a game in 2021-22, and is averaging a new high of 11.3 points per game as a junior while bringing in 7.8 rebounds per game and leading the team in assists and blocks.

• Aboubacar Troare became the 19th player in program history to record 500 career rebounds just under two seasons, and currently ranks 7th at the Beach with 650 career rebounds, passing Larry Anderson in the Top 10. He also ranks 6th in career blocked shots, and is rounding into a nightly triple-double threat. Traore has the chance to join a legendary trio of players at the Beach who have scored 1,000 points, grabbed 500 rebounds and made 300 assists in their career.

• The 2021-22 Big West Defensive Player of the Year, Jadon Jones has 27 steals and 10 blocks as a strong defensive presence while continuing to be a major threat from three. Averaging 12.6 points per game, Jones currently ranks 6th in program history with 169 made 3-pointers in his career.

• The duo of Aboubacar Traore and Jadon Jones are looking to join a club of one; LBSU career blocks leader Antrone Lee as the other two players to record 100 steals and 75 blocks during their time at the Beach highlighting the defensive standouts. The pair rank 1 and 2 in blocks per game in the Big West this season.

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Top Of The Standings Clash Saturday Pits CSUN Against Long Beach State At 1 p.m.

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Players Mentioned

Jadon Jones

Aboubacar Traore

Lassina Traore

Marcus Tsohonis

Long Beach State University Athletics