Long Beach Stages Another Comeback, 75-67

A team effort and a second-half comeback again produced a Cal State Long Beach victory Saturday night.

Five players scored in double figures as the 49ers overcame a 42-35 halftime deficit and beat New Mexico State, 75-67, in a Pacific Coast Athletic Assn. game before a sellout crowd of 2,016 at the 49er gym.

It was the fourth time this season that the 49ers have won at home after trailing at the half. They improved to 10-6 overall and 4-3 in the PCAA, while the Aggies dropped to 12-8 and 4-3.

New Mexico State made 76% of its field-goal attempts in the first half while using a box-and-one defense to hold 49er star Morlon Wiley to four points.

But the Aggies hit only 36% in the second half and couldn’t cope with the 49ers on the boards. Long Beach outrebounded the Aggies, 24-14, in the second half.

“A little discouraging,” said Aggie Coach Neil McCarthy. “We did a poor job of rebounding and we started playing faster than we should, and it caught up with us. We missed four or five shots in a row, maybe because of fatigue.”

For the second straight game, Rigo Moore sparked Long Beach off the bench. He hits two baskets near the end of the half to trim a 12-point Aggie lead, then scored 13 points--9 on three-pointers--in the second half.

A jump shot from the side by Andre Purry gave the 49ers the lead for good at 61-60 with 5:25 left.

That started a seven-point run that included a lay-in by John Hatten and a three-pointer by Moore.

Willie Joseph, who led all scorers with 25 points, sank a three-point shot with 2:02 left to bring the Aggies to 69-65.

But the 49ers sealed the victory with a Hatten layup and two free throws each by Purry and Moore.

Moore led Long Beach with 18 points. Hatten and Purry, who had 10 rebounds, each scored 12 points. Rudy Harvey had 10 points and 7 rebounds.

“We grew up a little bit tonight,” said Long Beach Coach Joe Harrington. “We had good team balance and didn’t miscue much down the stretch.

“But what pleased me the most was the sellout crowd; that really fired us up.”

McCarthy, however, scoffed at any notion that the crowd was a factor.

“I don’t think our kids were bothered by 2,000 people,” he said.