CS Long Beach Manages to Stay in Front, 84-81

For a while, Cal State Long Beach looked as if it was giving the game away to Robert Morris Monday night at University Gym.

The 49ers made only 10 of 19 first-half free throws, and the Colonials drove through the lane for basket after basket. In the first half, Robert Morris (2-6) made 75% of its field goals, most of them layups.

But somehow the 49ers, who closed the game by sinking 12 of their final 15 free throws, led wire to wire, to win, 84-81--their fourth consecutive victory.

“We don’t match up well against a team like that,” Long Beach Coach Seth Greenberg said. “They’re not like anything we see in our conference.”

But Robert Morris’ downfall was 16 first-half turnovers. Long Beach (6-3) had good closing efforts from freshman Mike Atkinson and junior Lucious Harris. Harris scored nine points in the final 4:18 and finished with 26.

Atkinson, recovering from a broken left foot, played only 16 minutes but had two key rebounds, two assists and made two free throws down the stretch. He finished with eight points and eight rebounds.