Long Beach Wins Easily as Freshman Impresses

He is only a freshman, but Lucious Harris is quickly becoming indispensable to the Cal State Long Beach basketball team.

Harris, a graduate of Cleveland High School in Reseda, converted seven of his first nine field goal attempts in the first half Monday night at Long Beach to help the 49ers gain a 92-74 nonconference victory over the University of North Texas.

Long Beach (6-1) is off to its best start in more than a decade, thanks in large part to Harris, who celebrated his 19th birthday Monday before a packed house in the campus gymnasium with a season-high and game-high 17 points.

“You never know what to expect from a freshman, but he’s growing up in a hurry,” Long Beach Coach Joe Harrington said.

Harris, who averages 9.8 points a game, had already been impressive in Long Beach’s victories, getting a last-second steal that led to the winning basket in a 70-69 victory over Purdue and making a three-pointer at the buzzer in an 89-87 win over Texas.

But Monday, the 49ers didn’t need last-second heroics. North Texas (0-9) committed 22 turnovers in the first 20 minutes as Long Beach built a 51-37 halftime lead.

Long Beach was slow to take advantage. North Texas led by a point with six minutes gone in the game, despite making only six of 20 field goal tries.

But then Harris and the Long Beach full-court press took their toll. Two free throws by Ronnie Winbush gave Long Beach the lead for good, 14-13, with 13:18 to go in the half. In the next six minutes, Long Beach ran off a 26-7 spurt for a 38-20 lead. Harris contributed five baskets and a pair of steals.

The 49er defense helped too. It forced nine Eagle turnovers in the run. However, the uptempo 49er offense also had trouble holding onto the ball. Long Beach committed 10 first-half turnovers, which helped the Eagles creep back within nine points just before the half.

“I think at times, with the press, we played right into their hands,” Harrington said.

North Texas got no closer than eight points for the remainder of the game.