Johnson Leads 49ers in Opener

Ron Johnson scored 20 points as Long Beach State defeated Western Michigan, 71-64, in the first game of the America’s Youth Classic Thursday night.

Travis Reed scored 17 points and had nine rebounds and James Williams added 15 points as the 49ers rallied in the second half to win their opener.

Trailing, 40-36, early in the second half, Long Beach State went on a decisive 15-0 run and never trailed again. Johnson scored six points during the run and Reed had four.

Western Michigan (0-1) was led by Ben Reed, who scored 19 points.

Western Michigan, which led 36-34 at halftime, went on an 11-4 run to pull within 55-51, but Long Beach State followed with a 7-0 run to pad its lead entering the final minutes.

The 49ers outshot the Broncos 56.5% to 29% in the second half.