Utah State Flattens Long Beach : Basketball: Aggies shoot 66% from the field, and 49ers never are able to get into the game. They wind up losing, 87-67.

This was supposed to be the one, Long Beach State believed. This was going to be the breakthrough game in which the 49ers ended their mercurial tendencies and showed the Big West Conference they possess the talent, mettle and intelligence to be a true title contender.

That’s what Coach Seth Greenberg figured, anyway. But again, just when it looks as if he 49ers are going to stay the course, they take another confounding turn.

Utah State shattered the 49ers’ good vibes from a three-game winning streak, embarrassing them, 87-67, Thursday night in a conference game in front of 7,217 at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum.

“We just didn’t play--flat out,” said Greenberg, whose team dropped to 7-5, 3-2 in the Big West.

“We didn’t compete and they ran right by us. When five people beat another group of five people down the court it has to do with effort. I’m embarrassed.”

Greenberg’s lone positive comments were about forward Terrance O’Kelley, who had a season-high 22 points on nine-of-14 shooting from the field.

“We need Terrance to play well if we’re going to make a run at the league championship,” Greenberg said.

The 20-point defeat matches the 49ers’ biggest loss this season. New Mexico State defeated Long Beach, 98-78, in a Big West game Jan. 5.

Winners of nine consecutive, the conference-leading Aggies (12-2, 6-0) are off to their best start ever in the Big West. The Aggies’ 8-0 run to start the game got Long Beach out of its game--and out of the way--after only two minutes.

“We never got into the game,” Greenberg said.

Although Utah State led only 40-30 at halftime, it was never really challenged. Coach Larry Eustachy emptied his bench with 2:38 left in the game but could have at almost any point in the second half.

Long Beach shot only 38.7% from the field. The 49ers made 29% of their three-point shots and were horrible from the free-throw line for the second straight game, making 46.2% of their attempts.

More disturbing for Greenberg than the loss itself was how the Aggies dismantled Long Beach. Utah State shot 66% from the field--narrowly missing the school record of 69.5% set against New Mexico State in 1985.

“When somebody shoots (66%) they’re obviously making shots, but you’re not playing any defense,” Greenberg said. “They’re shooting layups and we’re not finding people in transition and they’re knocking down wide-open threes.”

Long Beach lost three in a row before winning three straight. Its opponents in two of those losses shot at least 60%.

Greenberg altered his defensive game plan slightly against the Aggies in an attempt to slow down center Eric Franson, the conference’s leader in scoring and rebounding. Usually relying on man-to-man defense, the 49ers often double-teamed Franson. However, he still paced four Utah State players in double figures with 20 points and had eight rebounds.

Center Joe McNaull had been one of the hottest 49ers, but he was limited to four points and three rebounds in 12 minutes because, trying to rally, the 49ers were forced to play full-court pressure defense for most of the game.

Eustachy said making McNaull a non-factor was part of his plan.

“The guy we went after was McNaull,” Eustachy said. “He seemed like the ‘Now Player.’

“He’s had some great games coming in. I thought our guys did a nice job on him.”