Long Beach Will Open Home Stand Against Utah St.

Cal State Long Beach, 6-1 in its university gym this season, will begin a four-game home stand at 7:30 tonight against Utah State in a Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. basketball game.

“I like to think it’s difficult for a team to come in here and win,” Long Beach Coach Ron Palmer said of the 2,000-seat 49er gym. “It’s a different atmosphere from what most teams are used to. It’s like a high school setting.”

Palmer is happy to be home after road losses last week to Nevada Las Vegas, 104-74, and UC Irvine, 81-66. The 49ers committed 43 turnovers in those games.

But Long Beach, 10-10 overall, is 5-3 and still in second place in the PCAA, tied with San Jose State. Utah State is 11-9 and 4-4 after victories last week against Cal State Fullerton and UC Santa Barbara.

In the season’s first meeting between the teams, Long Beach won in overtime, 94-91, at Logan, Utah.