Utah State Defeated by Long Beach State

Guard James Cotton scored a game-high 29 points Saturday night to help Long Beach State defeat Utah State, 71-58, and end a three-game Big West Conference losing streak before 4,060 at the Pyramid.

Cotton, the conference’s leading scorer, made a personal-best seven three-point shots in eight attempts and was 10 of 16 overall from the field. Cotton made all five of his three-point attempts in the first half and scored 18 points as the 49ers led, 36-19, at halftime.

Long Beach State (8-12 overall, 4-6 in conference play) is in a three-way tie for second in the Western Division. Utah State (15-7, 8-3) has lost two in a row and trails Nevada by half a game in the Eastern Division.

Guard Brandon Titus and forwards Marcus Johnson and Brian Yankelevitz also played big roles for Long Beach State. Titus had 18 points, Johnson led everyone with had a game-high 13 rebounds and Yankelevitz had a personal-best seven assists.

Center Antwan Smith led Utah State with 27 points and 10 rebounds.