Long Beach State Fights for Win at Northridge

Their coach might only have a number of games left, but the Long Beach State 49ers are showing they still have plenty of fight.

Travis Reed had game-highs of 19 points and 13 rebounds as Long Beach withstood a second-half rally for the second consecutive game in defeating Cal State Northridge, 73-60, Saturday night before 1,412 at Northridge.

The 49ers, 10-16 overall and 6-9 in the Big West Conference, clinched a berth in the conference tournament in winning their fourth in six games. They have also won two of three since sixth-year Coach Wayne Morgan announced he would resign at the end of the season.

Much like Thursday’s victory at Pacific, the 49ers saw a big lead whittle away but composed themselves and made all the key plays down the stretch.

“I think we’ve improved and have grown as a team,� Morgan said.

“In previous games, we have not been able to fight teams off. Basketball is a game of runs and once the other goes on theirs, you’ve got to be able to come right back with one to succeed.�

Vance Lawhorn’s three-point play gave Long Beach its biggest lead at 57-40 with 10:41 remaining. But Jermar Welch scored eight of his 16 points in a 17-2 run that got the Matadors (8-15, 7-7) within two with 3:33 left.

Long Beach didn’t break. Lawhorn, who had 13 points, had a key three-point play for a 63-57 lead and the 49ers held Northridge to only one field goal the rest of the way.

“I’ve always known Vance could score,� Reed said. “Now with Rudy [Williams] out, Vance has had to step up and he did. Every time he gets in the game, he scores or does something else.�

Northridge, which was in a tie for first place on Jan. 26, has lost five in a row.

Eric Stephens

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Pacific 73, UC Irvine 61--Maurice McLemore scored 12 of his 17 points in the second half at Stockton to help the Tigers (15-9, 7-7) knock Irvine (18-8, 11-4) out of first place in the Big West.

Jordan Harris scored a game-high 18 points for Irvine, but Jerry Green, the Big West’s leading scorer and reigning conference Player of the Year, was limited to 10 points, half his season average.

Utah State 59, UC Riverside 42--Desmond Penigar scored 18 points and Tony Brown added 12 points and six assists to lead the Aggies at Logan, Utah.

The Aggies (20-4, 12-3), who have won seven games in a row, secured their third consecutive 20-win season with the victory.

UC Riverside (5-9, 8-14) got 13 points and six rebounds from Vili Morton, but the Highlanders shot just 26%.

Idaho 65, Cal State Fullerton 53--Matt Gerschefske scored 17 points to lead the Vandals at Moscow, Idaho.

The Vandals (9-15, 6-9) were able to offset the superior size of the Titans (4-19, 1-13).

Against 6-foot-10 Pape Sow, who had a game-high 19 points and 10 rebounds, and 6-11 Babacar Camara, Idaho found open shots from three-point range, making 41.7%, and outrebounded Fullerton, 31-23.

Portland 83, Loyola Marymount 79--Casey Frandsen had six three-pointers and scored 25 points as the Pilots won in overtime in a West Coast Conference game at Portland, Ore.

Coky Rochin added 17 points for Portland (6-20, 2-10), which had lost 16 of 17 before beating the Lions.

Loyola (9-17, 2-10), which fell into a last-place tie in the conference with Portland and St. Mary’s, was led by Kent Dennis with 21 points.

The Pilots nearly let the game slip away in the second half, when Loyola went on a 13-1 run to take a 68-61 lead with 5:56 remaining. But the Lions failed to score in the final 3:30 of regulation, opening the door for the Pilots.