Long Beach Beats Harvard in Overtime, 81-77

Lucious Harris made a three-point basket with 2:29 to play in overtime to put Cal State Long Beach ahead for good as the 49ers defeated stubborn Harvard, 81-77, Saturday night at the Long Beach Arena.

The 49ers needed a jump shot by Kevin Cutler with nine seconds to play in regulation to stay alive against a 2-9 Ivy League team that has lost this season to Lehigh, Vermont and Colgate.

Long Beach, winning both games in its tournament, improved to 4-5.

Harris scored 28 points and Cutler scored 18 of his 23 points in the second half.

The 49ers appeared to be in control late in the second half when Harris made a three-point shot for a 66-58 lead. But the Crimson scored 10 consecutive points--four free throws by Ralph James and two three-pointers by Peter Condakes--to regain the lead, 68-66, with 3:14 left.

Harris tied the score, 68-68, with 2:48 remaining.

Ron Mitchell put Harvard ahead, 70-68, with 35 seconds to play, but Cutler then answered with a basket from the lane.

Harvard had a chance to win in regulation, but Tarik Campbell missed a last-second shot.

“You always look for a silver lining,” Long Beach Coach Seth Greenberg said, “and this was one of them. When we were down with nine seconds to go we told our kids to attack. We may remember that this brought our team together.”

Mitchell opened the overtime to put Harvard ahead, 72-70, but Troy Joseph made a free throw and Harris made his three-point shot for the 49ers.

Frankie Edwards kept the Crimson at bay the rest of the way with a blocked shot and several rebounds.

Long Beach had six turnovers in the first six minutes of the game and scored only 10 points in the first 10 minutes.

Harvard took an 11-10 lead when Mitchell followed his own shot for a basket, and the Crimson held the lead the rest of the first half. A four-point play by Ralph James gave Harvard a 16-11 lead. The Crimson had their biggest lead when a jumper by Tyler Rullman made the score 24-18.

The 49ers might have caught up had it not been for spotty free-throw shooting--the 49ers made 10 of 19 from the line in the first half. That looked good, however, next to their 34% shooting from the field.

Long Beach pulled to 32-31, but Campbell made a free throw and Anikar Chhabra made a layup for a 35-31 halftime lead.