LBS falters - Long Beach Press Telegram

[Proud Griz Man]

LBSU men's basketball team stumbles down the stretch
Montana goes on 7-0 run late to clinch win over the 49ers

MISSOULA, Mont. - Long Beach State built a double-digit first-half lead but couldn't hold off Montana as the Grizzlies rallied for a 73-71 win in Dahlberg Arena on Saturday night.

The 49ers (3-2) rallied from a seven-point deficit to take a 68-66 lead on a pair of free throws by Casper Ware, but the Grizzlies went on a 7-0 run over a 58-second span to regain the lead, 73-68. The 49ers missed four free throws and had a costly turnover during the stretch. "We are just not tough enough on the road right now," LBSU head coach Dan Monson said. "We just break down too easily and let teams hang around. It's such an advantage for teams to be at home when you don't put them away when you have the opportunity. It's just very frustrating because it's not anything but the mentality. We have got to get tougher mentally." Derek Selvig split a pair of free throws to cut LBSU's lead to 68-67. Long Beach State failed to recover a missed shot, and Montana's Will Cherry nailed a jumper on the other end with 38 seconds remaining to put the Grizzlies up permanently, 69-68.


... Montana (4-2) outscored Long Beach State 41-33 after the break en route to the win. Selvig, who the 49ers held scoreless in Long Beach last year, led three Grizzlies in double figures with 14 points. The 49ers struggled from the floor, especially in the second half when they made just eight of 23 shots (34.8 percent). The Grizzlies shot 51 percent (26 for 51) from the floor. Long Beach State controlled the first half, but Montana was able to hang around thanks to seven offensive rebounds and 10 second-chance points. Ware connected on three 3-pointers to lead LBSU at the break with 11 points, while Robinson added 10 on 5-for-6 shooting. Trailing 22-20 with 8:20 to play, the 49ers went on a 10-0 run to build an eight-point lead. Robinson started the spurt with back-to-back jumpers, and Ware followed with back-to-back 3s. The 49ers pushed the lead to as many as 11 on a pair of free throws by Anderson with 1:56 to play, but the Grizzlies scored the last two baskets to cut the lead to 38-32 at the half. LBSU went cold down the stretch, not scoring a field goal for the final 4:21 of the half.

[youtube]<iframe width="640" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/pSAKDmzSdU8?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>[/youtube]

 

[Proud Griz Man]

Good win for the Griz, against a high-quality opponent.

Long Beach State's Casper Ware (22) shoots over Pittsburgh's Dante Taylor (11) in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game on Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2011, in Pittsburgh. Ware was the leading scorer with 28 points as Long Beach State…

Long Beach State beats No. 9 Pittsburgh

Updated: Thursday, 17 Nov 2011, 4:48 PM CST
Published : Thursday, 17 Nov 2011, 2:38 PM CST



PITTSBURGH (AP) - PITTSBURGH (AP) — Casper Ware scored a career-high 28 points and visiting Long Beach State ran away from No. 9 Pittsburgh 86-76 on Wednesday night. James Ennis added 19 points for the 49ers (2-0), who snapped Pitt's 58-game nonconference winning streak at the Petersen Events Center with ease. Ashton Gibbs led the Panthers (2-1) with 20 points and Nasir Robinson added 19, but the Panthers simply couldn't keep up with the 49ers. Long Beach State built a nine-point halftime lead and never let up. Pitt pulled within six on a few occasions but each time the 49ers answered to become the first non-Big East team to beat the Panthers at home since Bucknell in 2005. It was Long Beach State's first victory over a top-10 team since 1993.

The #9 Pittsburgh Panthers suffered the first major upset of the college basketball season when they lost to Long Beach State, 86-76, on Nov. 16. The 49ers became the second non-Big East team to win at Peterson Events Center for the upset.

“We knew how good they were,” Pittsburgh head coach Jamie Dixon said of Long Beach State. “I anticipated us being a much better team at this time and obviously we are not where I would like us to be.” Ashton Gibbs led Pittsburgh (2-1) with 20 points and Nasir Robinson added 19. However, the Panthers could not keep up with the 49ers (2-0). Casper Ware scored a career-high 28 points, James Ennis finished with 19 and Larry Anderson scored 12 points with seven assists to end Pittsburgh’s 58-game home winning streak. “I want to thank Coach Dixon for the opportunity today because a lot of teams wouldn’t do that,” Long Beach State coach Dan Monson said. “He knew we had a veteran team coming back and he knew this would be a tough game for him." Long Beach State took a nine-point halftime lead and never let up. Pittsburgh came within six on a few occasions but every time the 49ers answered. The victory was Long Beach State's first over a top-10 team since beating then-No. 1 Kansas on Jan. 25, 1993.

“They played hard, they played aggressive and they moved the ball very well,” Dixon said. “We got beat every which way and when you get beat like we did it is execution or could be construed as effort.” Long Beach State never trailed after taking the lead less than 8 minutes in, attacking the Panthers from the opening tip. The 49ers shot 59-percent from the floor, collected 24 assists on 32 baskets and only turned it over 10 times. “We’re going to enjoy this, and it’s great for a mid-major because we’ll be recognized a little bit,” Monson said. “This group hasn’t been to the NCAA Tournament yet and I think we would trade this for that. That goal at the end of the year is not attained in one game. We have a lot of work ahead of us.”


Continue reading on Examiner.com Long Beach State upsets No. 9 Pittsburgh on the road - National College Basketball | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/college-basketball-in-national/long-beach-state-upsets-no-9-pittsburgh-on-the-road#ixzz1ex4exmcB" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[BelierPeaux]

Can't expect the local paper to be too good to UM, but give the Griz a little credit. They played very good defense. The Griz won that game, LBSU didn't lose it.

 

[jon]

Casper Ware is a great player and LBSU is my bet to make the Tourney out of the Big West... haven't seen a lot of people outside the Big Sky give the Griz any credit (seen junk about LBSU "blowing the game") but it is a huge win for the Griz that will carry forward and should look even better as the season goes along.

 

[Proud Griz Man]

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Casper Ware and Long Beach State already have a road victory against a ranked Big East opponent this year. No. 6 Louisville never gave them a chance for another by pressing the pace from the start. Chris Smith scored 18 points and the Cardinals got out to a quick lead early in a 79-66 victory on Monday night.
... Louisville (6-0) scored the first eight points of the game and took a double-digit lead early in the first half but couldn't pull away from Long Beach State (3-3) until the closing minute even though the 49ers never got closer than five points in the second half.

Freshman Chane Behanan had 13 points and seven rebounds for Louisville, which has dealt with multiple injuries so far and was without another player when reserve guard Elisha Justice didn't dress after he broke his nose. Cardinals coach Rick Pitino wanted Louisville to play fast throughout the game, but his team began to get tired in the second half. "They're traveling more than an NBA team. They're like the Harlem Globetrotters," Pitino said. "We wanted to press them, we wanted to run them and they were coming from Montana, probably not a private charter, and the rain and the connections (from) Montana." Larry Anderson scored 17 points for the 49ers before fouling out.

Long Beach State trailed, 55-40, after Jared Swopshire tipped in a miss by Kyle Kuric and Smith found Behanan on a feed down low for a dunk for Louisville. The 49ers rallied with a 9-0 run and Siva picked up his fourth foul in the stretch before Swopshire ended it with a dunk. Long Beach State answered again, easily breaking Louisville's press as Ware converted a three-point play that cut the Cardinals' lead to 57-52 following a pass from Mike Caffey with 8:35 left. Smith hit a 3-pointer in the corner and Kuric hit two free throws to stretch the lead back to 65-55 with 5:35 to play. It remained in the range until the end as both teams struggled with foul trouble down the stretch.