Kansas Nearly Showed Up by 49ers : College basketball: Long Beach leads much of the way before 10th-ranked Jayhawks win, 66-60.

Cal State Long Beach Coach Seth Greenberg said this week that the 49ers wanted to “show up” at the Long Beach Arena Saturday night for their nonconference game against Kansas, simply to see what they could do.

They did better than that, putting a scare into the 10th-ranked Jayhawks before falling, 66-60.

Kansas (4-0), on its first trip of the season, got three free throws from Adonis Jordan in the final 33 seconds to ice a game that was going all CS Long Beach’s way until the final 7 1/2 minutes.

“This is the first time this year that I feel we have been tested,” Kansas Coach Ray Williams said. “And I liked the way our kids responded out there.”

Guard Lucious Harris of Long Beach scored 24 points and Rex Walters scored 15 for Kansas.

Both teams played intense defense. But poor free-throw shooting did in the 49ers. CS Long Beach, which made 15 of 18 free throws in a 76-67 victory over Cal State Northridge last Wednesday, made only 16 of 30 against Kansas, including four by center Chris Tower in the final 2 1/2 minutes.

Kansas led, 62-60, with 2:27 left when Tower had a chance to tie the game by making two free throws. He missed both.

The 49ers led most of the first half and played Kansas even as the second half began. CS Long Beach held a 54-53 lead with 7:28 remaining when center Frankie Edwards fouled out. Richard Scott of Kansas missed both free throws, but Walters grabbed the rebound and was credited with a basket on a goaltending call against Bryon Russell. Kansas never trailed again.

Steve Woodberry’s tip-in and a steal and basket by Walters followed, and Kansas led, 59-54.

Harris sank two free throws to get the 49ers back to within three points, but a three-point shot by Woodberry opened a 62-56 lead with 5:33 left. Harris made a field goal and two free throws to cut the Jayhawk lead to 62-60 with 2:57 to play.

Bobby Sears made a free throw with nine seconds remaining to give Long Beach a 31-30 halftime lead.

The 49ers led for most of the half, although Kansas erased a 25-24 deficit with baskets by freshman center Greg Ostertag and freshman forward Ben Davis after a missed lay-in by Alonzo Jamison.