Long Beach Gets Share of Big West Title

Long Beach State defeated UC Santa Barbara, 74-69, in double overtime Saturday night before 5,249 at the Thunderdome, clinching at least a share of its first regular-season Big West Conference title since the 1976-77 season.

“This is just awesome,” said Long Beach Coach Seth Greenberg, whose team ends the regular season at 17-10 overall and 12-6 in the Big West. “I thought we might give it away, but our kids wouldn’t be denied. I’m just so proud because we didn’t ever crack.”

Long Beach will claim its first outright title since the 1974-75 season if UC Irvine (15-10, 11-6) loses its final game today at Pacific. If Long Beach and Irvine tie for the conference championship, tiebreakers will determine the team seeded first in this week’s Big West tournament at Reno. The loss eliminated Santa Barbara (11-15, 8-10) from playing in the six-team tournament.

Forward Kealon Wallace, who led Santa Barbara with 26 points, made two free throws to tie the game, 57-57, at the end of regulation. The Gauchos’ Lelan McDougal made a three-point shot with less than a second left in the first overtime to tie it at 65-56.

Point guard Rasul Salahuddin led Long Beach with 21 points and made five free throws in the second overtime. Reserve guard Eric Brown scored all 10 of his points after the first half and had the 49ers’ first basket of the second overtime.