Improving 49ers Make a Point at the Pyramid

Long Beach State might yet prove its coach correct.

After the 49ers had been upset by Cal State Northridge in their last game, Long Beach Coach Seth Greenberg vowed his team would be good by the time college basketball’s all-important month arrives.

That would be March, and it appears the improvement process is beginning. The 49ers actually looked impressive at times in defeating Montana, 79-69, Wednesday night in front of 4,489 at the Pyramid.

“This was a great win. . . . We needed this,” Greenberg said to his players. “This feels a lot better than the last time we were in the locker room.”

That was Dec. 6, after a 64-58 loss to the lowly Matadors at Northridge.

This time, it was different.

Long Beach (3-1) shot 54% and held Montana (6-3) to 40%.

“The way they play defense was the difference,” Montana Coach Blaine Taylor said.

As usual, the 49er defense was led by starting point guard Rasul Salahuddin. Salahuddin, who began the game with a team-leading 15 steals, had three against Montana in addition to eight points and nine assists. He had only four turnovers compared to seven in the previous game.

“This was probably the best we’ve been offensively,” Greenberg said. “We were patient.”

Still, the 49ers’ lead was only six, 57-51, when Montana forward Matt Kempfert scored with 6:57 to play in the game. But Long Beach’s senior leaders stepped up, and and Montana couldn’t keep pace.

Point guard Tye Mays, playing in his first game after being ineligible during the fall semester, scored four points on a three-point goal and free throw in 15 seconds to boost the 49er lead to 67-57 with 4:29 remaining. Forward Mike Atkinson, Long Beach’s leading scorer, sealed the game with 3:45 to go on a three-point play, giving Long Beach its biggest lead, 70-57.

Atkinson, who played most of the game with three fouls, scored 15 of his game-high 19 points in the second half.

“I looked up with about (11 minutes) left in the first half and all of a sudden I have three fouls,” Atkinson said. “I knew we needed some some senior leadership, so I just tried not to pick up any stupid ones in the second half.”

He picked up only one more.

Jamie Davis scored 15 points for the 49ers and center Joe McNaull had 10 points and 10 rebounds.