Half Is Enough for Long Beach to Win, 65-59 : Big West: 49ers slumber through first 20 minutes, awaken to beat Utah State.
LOGAN, Utah — Cal State Long Beach survived its worst first-half shooting performance of the season, an injury to a key starter and a scoring drought by its top player Saturday night to prove it can win on the road.
With center Chris Tower and guard Lucious Harris scoring 33 second-half points, the 49ers came from behind to defeat Utah State, 65-59, in a Big West Conference game before 8,177.
The victory ended a two-game losing streak at Utah and kept Long Beach (12-1, 5-1) alone atop the Big West standings. Utah State (6-6, 3-2) fell 1 1/2 games off the pace.
Harris, the Big West scoring leader, was held to his lowest first-half output of the season--five points--on one-for-seven shooting as Utah State built a 34-25 lead. The teams combined for 21 turnovers in the half.
The rest of the 49ers couldn’t pick up the slack for Harris in the first 20 minutes, with only Tower (11 points) contributing substantial scoring. The 49ers shot a season-low eight of 29 (27.6%) and were held to its lowest first half-point total of the season.
It was a different story in the final 20 minutes. Harris, a senior guard who scored 34 points Thursday night in a victory at Nevada, combined with Tower to score 16 of the team’s first 18 points. Harris’ driving layup with 13:49 to play gave Long Beach a 43-38 lead.
Utah State rallied to lead, 59-58, with 3:14 to play on a turn-around jump shot by reserve Carlito DaSilva.
But Tower made a 13-foot shot with 1:35 to play for a 60-59 lead. Harris made a key defensive rebound on a failed three-point attempt by Utah State guard Jay Goodman with 38 seconds left and was fouled. Harris made one of two free throws for a 61-59 lead, and reserve guard Brian Camper scored on a layin and a free throw 25 seconds later.
“I was trying to do too much in the first half,†Harris said. “I was coming off that big game in Reno, and I was trying too hard. I thought tonight my shooting would be the same as last game, but it wasn’t.â€
Utah State planned to make it difficult on Harris.
“We really went after him,†said Goodman, the point guard who led Utah State with 23 points. “We were able to stop him in the first half, but in the second he just got loose.â€
Long Beach lost forward Rod Hannibal at the 10:35 mark of the first half with a badly sprained right ankle. Hannibal, who averages 14.2 points and 4.7 rebounds, did not return to the game and is listed as doubtful for Monday night’s game at UC Santa Barbara.
Led by forward Bryon Russell’s 10 rebounds, Long Beach won the rebounding battle, 40-33.
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