Harris, Long Beach Regain Touch

Lucious Harris finally found his shot Thursday night, enabling Cal State Long Beach to find the win column for the first time in more than two weeks.

After making one of six shots in the first half, the senior guard scored 21 points in the second half to lead the 49ers to a 76-64 victory over Utah State in a Big West Conference game before an announced sellout of 1,987 in the campus gym.

The victory ended a three-game losing streak for Long Beach, 15-6 overall and 7-5 in the Big West, while Utah State (8-12, 5-7) had its two-game winning streak ended. It was the first time Long Beach has won since upsetting then-No. 1 Kansas, 64-49, on Jan. 25.

Harris, who finished with 23 points, expressed a concern about the lack of energy he felt in his legs during Long Beach’s 95-83 loss at Nevada Las Vegas Monday night. The second-leading scorer in the Big West made only three of 17 shots against the Rebels.

He started the same way against the Aggies, scoring a season-low two points in the first half, but he made his final seven shots, including four three-pointers. He also had four assists and six rebounds.

“I never lost confidence in my shots, they just weren’t falling,” Harris said. “After my first few missed I was trying to guide the ball, rather than shoot it. Then I got relaxed and just started shooting the ball.”

The first half was one that both teams would as soon forget. With barely 13 minutes gone, the Aggies and 49ers had shot a collective nine for 41 and committed 12 turnovers. Utah State opened the game by making one of 11 shots and made six of 27 at the finish.

Harris made his first three-pointer with 14:27 to go in the game to boost Long Beach to a 42-36 lead.

Utah State cut the lead to 51-49 with 8:33 to play, but Long Beach got 11 points from Harris and five from Bryon Russell to open a 69-56 lead with 2:55 remaining. Russell finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds.