8:25am | Dan Monson mostly liked the numbers he saw Tuesday night. Certainly he liked the crowd count, a lively 3,866 including a nice section of students who passed on an early get away to see the now 3-1 Niners.

He liked the record book reward that four year starter TJ Robinson got when he became Long Beach State’s all-time leading rebounder pulling down caroms from where he was supposed to be (in the low post) and where he “just wanted to be. I am really glad he broke the record in a manly fashion,” Monson said in his post game press conference. “He broke the record in the first half and then just kept working. He was getting a lot of them from out of position.”

Mr. Robinson’s Boise game numbers were just another in a long list of his double-doubles, he now has 40 in his illustrious LB career. Tuesday totals were 18 points and 13 rebounds, and the new rebound mark is now 906. Robinson passed burly Francois Wise, 1976-1980, and has moved into fifth all-time in rebounding in the Big West Conference.

Oh yes, the coach was satisfied mostly with the final score of Long Beach State 72, Boise State 63 but a bit grumpy over the lapses at the end of each half. Those were the scoring droughts which turned an 18 point lead late in the first half to 9 at the half and from a 23 point lead with five minutes to a 10 point margin at the final buzzer (the so called “spread” was listed at nine points).

The numbers for guards Casper Ware and Larry Anderson — who were averaging 45.5 points between them through wins over Idaho and Pitt and the loss to SDSU — were not very pretty but Robinson and exciting JUCO newcomer James Ennis (16 points, six assists, five rebounds and two steals) kept the undefeated Mountain West conference contenders out of the win column on this night. Eugene Phelps played 26 efficient minutes and added 11 points and five boards.

Mr. Ware had his lowest scoring output since the 2008-2009 season and finished with five points and two assists, more than 19 points and three assists below his season average. The reason, well as soccer super star Nadia Link would note, the other teams read your stats and, in this case, the BSU brain trust tried all sorts of gimmicks including the rarely seen box and one defense. Anderson scored seven points, 10 below his average.

BSU closed to seven on its first possession of the second half, but the Beach boys (3-1) went on a 16-4 run in the next 3:33, took a 49-30 lead and then put the game in the win column as they get ready for two more road stops in unfriendly gyms, at Montana on Saturday in Missoula and then from a microwave into a nuclear reactor with a ESPNU game against No. 7 Louisville on Monday.

POST GAME DUSTING

Nationally known basketball blogger Frank Burlison was in the house and said “Boise State has a nice young team… will do damage in MWC” with freshmen like Anthony Demic (five 3s vs. LB) and Derrick Marks (3 assists and 2 steals).

The 49ers converted on 49.1 percent (27-of-55) of their shots, while making 37.5 percent (6-of-16) from three and 70.6 percent (12-of-17) from the free throw line.

The Broncos struggled most of the night, making just 31.5 percent (17-of-54) of its shots. BSU made nearly as many 3-pointers (8) as two-point field goals (9). Anthony Drmic led the Broncos with 20 points, while Kenny Buckner added 14. They had beaten CSUN 103-61 and have a six game home stand coming up starting with Northern Illinois. The seventh upcoming game is at LSU.

Around the Big West on a Tuesday, it was UC Santa Barbara 83, Portland 69; Sacramento State 69, UC Davis 61; Cal State Northridge 95, San Diego Christian 68 and UNLV 75, Cal Poly 52.

The LB volleyball team now takes over the cobalt blue building with Wednesday, Friday and Saturday sessions in order against LMU, Central Michigan and New Mexico. Sunday the team and fans gather for the NCAA pairings show. Four of their recruits have been about the Mid, two from the 2012 class and even the 2014 setter.