What’s up Beach fans! We’re coming to you live once again from the floor of the Walter Pyramid to bring you all the live action between Long Beach State (7-9, 1-2) and UC Santa Barbara (8-6, 3-1). We said it yesterday in our All Basketball Podcast, but this one is going to come down to effort and energy for the 49ers, and lately you can tell right away whether or not they’re going to bring it. I’ll let you know what things look like on the floor, and feel free to add your questions and thoughts in the Comments section below!
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Starting lineups
Another shakeup for Long Beach State as center Andrew Fleming and guard Greg Plater get the nod, along with regulars Casper Ware, T.J. Robinson and Larry Anderson. Mixing it up worked in their 55-53 victory over UC Irvine so perhaps Coach Dan Monson is growing fond of keeping his players on their toes.
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5-2 Irvine, 16:37: With those changes to the starting lineup (see above) and freshman Kyle Richardson the first off the bench, you’ve got to wonder what has changed in Monson’s decision making. Earlier in the season, guys like Fleming and Richardson hardly ever saw the court. If they’ve simply improved then that’s obviously for the best. Meanwhile, are Steph Gilling and Eugene Phelps falling out of favor?
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5-4 Irvine, 15:42: At the first media timeout, Monson subs in four new players (leaving only Ware on the court). What is going on? Just five minutes into the game and already ten players have seen action.
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15-9 Santa Barbara, 11:16: The 49ers seem to have come out with good energy – which is easy to do when you’re not sure if you’ll get to play for more than 30 seconds – but at the same time the offense has yet to get going. The ball isn’t getting inside and Long Beach is falling into that trap of just passing around the perimeter. Santa Barbara is heating up from the outside as well. Monson’s experiment with Anderson at the point instead of Ware isn’t going very well. At all.
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19-18 Santa Barbara, 8:15: Greg Plater is keeping this team alive right now. The junior knocks down a three and then steals the ball that leads to a Gilling three-pointer. In their last few games, Plater has been the 49ers’ most consistent player (maybe with the exception of Ware).
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23-21 Long Beach, 7:08: Another Plater three! Yup, I called it. However, Santa Barbara scores on the next possession because the 49ers’ full-court press left Lazdauskas out of position. I just don’t understand this press. I like the idea of Long Beach pressing, but the press they use seems like it’s designed to get them out of position. I simply don’t understand it.
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25-25, 4:46: Even with leading scorer Orlando Anderson (already with 10 points) on the bench, Santa Barbara is real speedy. Sophomore guard Will Brew dashes down the court to feed James Nunnally for the bucket and the foul, then 6-foot-7 forward Jaime Serna steals an errant 49er pass. Long Beach needs to be crisp and solid defensively to beat the ‘Gauchos tonight. Nice dish from Robinson to a cutting Lazdauskas for two and the foul. Robinson is active tonight.
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32-27 Long Beach, 0:25.0: Casper Ware throws a perfectly-placed lob to a streaking Larry Anderson for a flying layup for two, but these are Anderson’s first two points – and that worries me. Long Beach’s most athletic player and arguably most potent scorer has gotten off to some very slow starts in recent games. You could argue that he gets stronger as the game goes on, but I haven’t seen much evidence that the 49ers can count on Anderson when they’re in a dogfight. A lot of his points have come when Long Beach is already winning or losing by a large amount (the A-Rod effect?). As I’m typing, he misses two free throws.
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32-30 Long Beach, HALF: Santa Barbara hits a three to end the first half. Your leading scorer is UCSB’s Orlando Anderson with 10. For Long Beach, Robinson, Plater, Woodard and Gilling have 6 apiece.
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39-32 Long Beach, 17:00: Long Beach opens with their normal starting five of Ware, Anderson, Gilling, Phelps and Robinson; which makes me think that Monson was just trying to shake things up – again – when he started that bizarre combo. Ware sets up Anderson for another bucket and I’m beginning to wonder if he can score without Casper’s help. Good energy for the Beach coming out for the second half.
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44-32 Long Beach, 14:49: The 49ers haven’t exactly been a second half team this season, but they’ve come out strong tonight and rattled off three consecutive buckets capped by a three from Casper Ware. Defensively, UCSB forward Orlando Johnson is forced into a turnover by the defense of Anderson and Lazdauskas. Exactly the start Long Beach needed.
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48-41 Long Beach, 10:11: The 49ers start out on a 16-4 run capped by a Plater steal and lay-in to give Long Beach a 48-34 lead, but UCSB guard Jordan Weiner hits a three and then is fouled on another three attempt. Long Beach seems to be hitting an offensive groove and the Gauchos’ Anderson finally scores his first points of the second half to give him 12 for the game.
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56-43 Long Beach, 7:19: Very balanced scoring tonight; I love how the 49ers’ best offensive effort in several games may end up bringing all of their scoring averages down. The Gauchos are currently leading the Big West standings but they’ll need much better effort to pull this one out.
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67-44 Long Beach, 2:52: The 49ers are pretty safely in control of this one and seem to be getting better as the game goes on. Anderson makes his own scoring opportunity for the first time in this game with a nifty drive and left-handed scoop. Great game for Long Beach and perhaps a sign that they’re getting themselves back in order after a tough five-game slide. Anything you guys want me to ask Monson or the players during the press conference?
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Your final is 67-47 Long Beach. Leading scorer is T.J. Robinson with 19 points – 11 of those in the second half – and 12 rebounds. Gaucho leading scorer Orlando Johnson was limited to just one bucket in the second half. Check back here later tonight for our game recap!