Winning Streak Snapped For Long Beach State As Men’s Basketball Falls To UC Riverside

Thursday, January 2

Long Beach, Calif.

7 p.m.

Long Beach State University

6-9,2-1Big West

UC Riverside

10-5,3-0Big West

UC Riverside

Long Beach St.

Photo by: John Fajardo

Winning Streak Snapped For Long Beach State As Men’s Basketball Falls To UC Riverside

1/2/2025 10:01:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Photo Gallery

Senior Devin Askew led Long Beach State with 17 points and 8 rebounds in the loss.

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

LONG BEACH, Calif. – Long Beach State got off to a hot start but the strong shooting that had carried the team through its five-game winning streak dried up and UC Riverside defeated the Beach 76-60 in the return to Big West action to kick off 2025.

                Long Beach State (6-9, 2-1 Big West) found Cam Denson for a corner three immediately after scoring off the opening tip for a 5-0 lead, and led 12-5 in the early minutes. UC Riverside (10-5, 3-0 Big West) had a first half answer.

                Kam Martin hit a jumper to put the Beach in front 20-18 with just under 10 minutes to play in the first half, but the Highlanders responded with a 14-0 run capped by an Isaiah Moses three to take a 32-20 lead. The Beach cut the lead to four at 38-34 after scoring the opening basket of the second half, but UCR responded and never trailed in the second twenty on the way to the win.

                Isaiah Moses had 22 points off the bench UC Riverside, while Nate Pickens finished with a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds and Barrington Hargress added 17 as the guard trio led the Highlanders to the win. UC Riverside out-rebounded the Beach 38 to 30 and held Long Beach State under 50% shooting for the first time since November.

                Devin Askew led the way with 17 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists for Long Beach State, while Denson added 11 as the only other LBSU player in double-figures. Derrick Michael Xzavierro shared in the rebounding lead with 8 boards, scoring eight points off the bench as freshman Andrew Nagy made his return to the lineup.

                Long Beach State will have a quick turnaround, and will face Cal State Bakersfield on Saturday evening on ESPN+ as Big West conference play resumes its regular schedule.