20:00 before tip-off

OK, here’s the skinny. 

The rumor floating around about Donovan Morris’ foot is true: definitely bothering him.  Sources have told us that the problem has been lingering for a few days and he’s been having soreness.  X-rays came back negative and the initial thought was a stress fracture, but that’s just a theory at this point.

What I can tell you is that the 49ers are going through lay-up lines right now and D-Mo isn’t in them.  He stretched for a short while earlier and is now getting work done near the bench.  I’ll let you know more as we see more.

It would also behoove you to show up tonight if you’re able – about 100 Fullerton students just came through the doors and there’s a sea of orange and blue in the West seats.  CSULB students back from winter break for the first time should be filing in shortly, and it’s about to get messy in here.

*

15:00 before tip-off

I can definitely say that Morris is favoring a foot (The right one? Hard to tell), but he finished up the pregame drills and is shooting without any noticable trouble.  That’s good news for the 49ers, but if I were you I’d be more concerned about Long Beach coming out stronger than they did against Riverside than Morris’ foot.

Ha!  Caught some of the Fullerton students dancing while the Long Beach band plays.  No matter your affiliation, the Beach band rocks.

11:00 before tip-off

UPDATE: Definitely the right foot.

Why this is a problem: Much of the space for Morris’ jumpshot is created with his jab steps and fakes.  That’ll be difficult on a bum foot – whether it’s broken or stressed or just sore.

Why this isn’t that big a deal: D-Mo often gets looks created for him with off-ball screens that won’t require much more than a plant and lift to get the shot off.  (I’m fishing for positives at this point)

4:00 before tip-off

Former Long Beach State head coach and legendary basketball mind Tex Winter will be honored during a timeout tonight.  The  occasion has brought out such former ‘Niner greats as Ed Ratleff and Craig Hodges.  Ye of the nine NBA Championships coached here for five seasons in the 70’s, and took some time to speak with me before the game.  The full interview will be posted on the site later tonight, but here’s a taste:

RZ: Have you gotten a chance to see Long Beach play this season?
TW: Last week against Riverside.

RZ: What’d ya think?
TW: They’re better than they showed.  Kind of like us [Lakers] against the Bobcats the other night!

Oh Tex!  Sharp as ever, that one.

GAMETIME

Morris is in the starting lineup, and this is now officially the most time I have ever devoted to writing about another man’s foot.

Fullerton has a couple of scoring options at the guard and wing positions, which works into Long Beach’s favor because their guards are strong defensively.  The real question will be what kind of plan Monson has to slow down the Titan’s 5’11” Josh Akognon – a scoring machine.  They’ll definitely use more than one defender to keep him in check.  I’d predict Steph Gilling gets the assignment.

The ‘Niners will also have to be careful heading into the lane, where 6’8″ Papa Guisse and his long arms have wreaked havoc on opponents all year long.

0-2 Fullerton

Gilling draws Akognon and 6’7″ Regan Anderson draws Morris, who catches off a screen and misses an 18-footer.  Ray Miller scores in the lane for the game’s first points.

2-2

Whoa.  Two minutes in, Monson empties the bench after two quick turnovers.  Larry Anderson now draws Akognon duties, then finds T.J. Robinson underneath for the Beach’s first bucket.

4-4

Does a full line change ever work as a motivation tool?  We’ll find out, as the 49ers continue to look jittery.  Another turnover and Robinson airballs a 12-footer.  Is it early game nerves?  That can happen with four freshmen, and there are three (Anderson, Robinson and Eugene Phelps) on the floor right now.  Could be the large Titan fan base or the huge crowd – it’s the students’ first game since break, plus Greek night.  Fullerton’s not doing much better, shooting 2-7 from the field so far.

Out of a timeout, Monson keeps the second string lineup in.  Robinson hits two of two from the line.

14-10 Long Beach

Gilling and Ware re-enter the game, and Morris remains on the bench.  Gilling draws Akognon, who has scored just two so far on a broken play.

Akognon may not be the quickest guard the 49ers have faced this season – I’d give that to Oregon‘s Tajuan Porter – or the purest scorer – Temple‘s Dionte Christmas – but he’s a great combination of the two.  Gilling and Anderson have done a great job denying and pressuring so far, and it’ll need to stay that way for the duration.

Morris has re-entered at 11:00.

21-16 Long Beach

A Gilling three is answered by one from the Titans’ Chris Rhymes, and Monson is going with the Beach Babies* lineup – wherein three or more freshmen are in at the same time.  This strategy has been employed usually when the 49ers try to use an energy spark off the bench to go on a big run while the opposition tires itself out.  Anderson is on the point with Gilling and Morris, while Robinson and Phelps are down low. Gilling is on Akognon but the 49ers aren’t afraid to switch Robinson or Anderson on him.

Ware comes in for Morris, so we’ve got all four young’ns + Gilling.  Fourteen minutes into the game, the 49ers’ leading scorer doesn’t have a point.  You gotta think the foot is bothering him.

*This is the nickname we use to avoid any unfortunate “Fab Four” cliches.

30-24 Long Beach

I was about to say that Morris’ slight limp isn’t really visible unless you’re really looking for it, but then he had trouble backpeddling and side-shuffling on defense and couldn’t make his cuts on offense.  Larry Anderson anticipates a crosscourt pass and finds D-Mo in the lane for his first bucket.

HALF
32-24 Long Beach

For an offense that’s so guard-oriented, the 49ers’ last eight points have come in the paint.  Fullerton’s 6’8″ shot-blocker Papa Guisse headed to the bench and Long Beach took advantage.  Steph Gilling took an overplaying Akognon to the hole, Maurice Clady found Brian Freeman on a backdoor cut, Anderson hit Morris for a layup and then did it again for a pretty floater – all while Guisse was out in the final two minutes of the half.

Sergio just sat down and joined us on The Row.  Whattup Serg!

Also somewhat surprisingly, the Beach is playing solid post defense.  They forced Fullerton into a poor shooting percentage (stats coming shortly) thanks to tough perimeter defense – which, let’s face it, has been their only defense this season – but when post defenders Freeman and Arturas Lazdauskas entered the game they kept the intensity going on the inside, too.  Together, they altered an Akognon runner and forced a miss, and when Laz found himself switched onto Akognon he forced him right into a waiting Freeman for the charge.

Long Beach has played spirited defense, but the Titans really have no one to blame but themselves for that half’s offensive performance.  I’d have to guess that their shooting percentage is in the low 30’s.  Akognon took a couple of ill-advised jumpers, but otherwise the team is missing some chippies.  We’ll see if that continues into the second half, but Fullerton is capable of catching fire and the 49ers had better be ready if they do.

I’d also like to confess that I probably jinxed Morris into his foot injury, by remarking to myself earlier this morning that the 49ers had been fortunate to not suffer any injuries so far this season.  The injury apparently occurred on Tuesday, three days before my jinx – but still, my B.

39-33 Long Beach

The ‘Niners come out hot, and a Ware steal + bucket puts them up by fifteen.  Two nifty buckets from Akognon bring Fullerton back – one from a headfake and up-n-under 18-footer on Gilling, and another backdoor cut and bucket underneath Brian Freeman.  On the next possession, Cornel Williams “fouls” (read: blocks) Akognon on a three attempts, and he hits two.  Then he hits a wing three to score nine straight – in ninety seconds.

48-44 Long Beach

All of a sudden, this place has exploded.  Long Beach went on another run thanks to a couple of Gilling jumpers and pretty dishes down low from Ware, but you can’t give Akognon any space.  And Larry Anderson did.  He hit an eight-foot runner, and then bagged a corner three to cut the lead to four.  Long Beach is now playing the uptempo game that the Titans want them to, and Monson calls a timeout after a Ray Miller dunk sends the Fullerton faithful into a frenzy.

All this, and Donovan Morris has just entered the game for the first time this half – nine minutes in.

52-51 Long Beach – 7:11 remaining

‘Niners playing with fire as they cling to a slim lead.  You can thank Eugene Phelps for that, as the freshman forward just rejected a Fullerton floater, then yanked down three straight rebounds to keep Long Beach ahead.

Gilling is guarding Akognon and doing a good job of beating the screens to deny the pass.

T.J. Robinson just snares an offensive board and is heading to the line for two.

53-51 Long Beach

One of two.

Casper Ware is playing great D on Akognon, and the Titan is forced to catch the ball about 30 feet from the bucket with Ware all up in his jersey.  Akognon tries to blow by him, can’t, spins… and travels.  The freshman just stared the senior down and beat him.

Both teams are playing excellent defense, and this has just been a well-played game all the way through.  Morris wills one in for his seventh and eighth points tonight.

55-55 – 3:30 remaining

Tie game, ladies and gentlemen.  Long Beach has played superb, gritty defense on Josh Akognon – and he’s still got 27 points.  He just finds a way…

55-57 Fullerton

Those chippies that Fullerton couldn’t hit are now giving the 49ers the same trouble.  Morris misses in the lane after Robinson blew consecutive layups.  On the next possession, Freeman throws the ball away and it leads to a circus shot from Marcio Lassiter that puts the Titans up by two with 1:36 remaining.

57-57 – 0:52.5 remaining

Morris hits a fadeaway jumper over two Titans.  I’m telling you right now, if you let Donovan Morris catch the ball within fifteen feet of the basket, you will pay – bum foot or no.  He didn’t need a dribble or a jab step.  Just stared down his defender long enough to make him hesitate, and then rose and hit.

Akognon missed a three but Fullerton gets the rebound and calls time.

57-59 Fullerton – 0:27.4 remaining

They go to Akognon.  Ware makes him catch 30 feet away but he muscles into the paint and hits a tough floater.

Morris checks into the game.  We’ve got our duel.

60-59 Long Beach – 0:17.4 remaining

Under the 49er basket, Steph Gilling inbounds ball to Donovan Morris.  Donovan Morris hits Steph Gilling in the corner as he steps in bounds.  Steph Gilling drains three-pointer.

Fullerton ball.

61-60 Fullerton – FINAL

Akognon catches the ball 30 feet from the bucket against Ware.  He drives straight to the opposite elbow and pulls up for a full-speed stop-on-a-dime jumper and drains it over Ware’s outstretched hand.

With just 3.9 seconds left, Larry Anderson passes to Ware and he launches a desperation three from thirty feet that falls short.  Game over.

Great game.  Full write-up coming soon.