Tower Scores 23, Long Beach Beats New Mexico State

Center Chris Tower scored a career-high 23 points and had 11 rebounds Thursday night as Cal State Long Beach defeated New Mexico State, 92-76, in a Big West Conference game in the University Gymnasium. The 49ers are 10-0 this season at home.

Long Beach, which has won 11 of 12 games in which it has led at halftime, held a 50-34 lead after the first 20 minutes. The 49ers shot a season-best 18 for 28 from the field in the first half, including eight of 11 from three-point range.

“Tower will only get better because he’ll continue to get stronger,” 49er Coach Seth Greenberg said. “He’s the kind of player that you ask him to do things a certain way and he does them exactly the way you ask him too.”

Tower, a former Westminster High School center, has scored in double figures six consecutive games.

A dunk by 49er forward Lucious Harris put Long Beach (12-7, 6-4) ahead for good, 22-20, with 8:55 left in the half. Tower and guard Bobby Sears combined to score 12 of the next 15 points. The 49ers led, 37-26, with 4:36 to go.

Long Beach led by as many as 20 points in the second half, although New Mexico State (14-4, 6-3) cut the lead to nine points twice.

Tower shared game-high scoring honors with Harris. Sears had 22 points and 10 assists.

Cliff Reed led New Mexico State with 23 points and eight rebounds. The Aggies’ leading rebounder, Malcolm Leak, missed the game after spraining an ankle in a loss at Cal State Fullerton Tuesday.