Long Beach Takes a Beating

There’s nothing flashy about Utah State , but the well-coached Aggies know how to play winning basketball. Just ask Long Beach State, which couldn’t keep up with the 24th-ranked team Thursday night in a 67-47 Big West Conference loss in front of 1,812 at The Pyramid.

Utah State, 23-2 overall and 15-1 in the conference, used a 15-0 run late in the second half to break open a tight game and hand the 49ers their seventh consecutive defeat. Senior Cardell Butler finished with a game-high 23 points for the Aggies, who dominated the rebounding in the second half.

“I think people are starting to become aware of us and how we play,” Utah State sophomore Nate Harris said. “Teams like [Long Beach State] are ready to play their best against us. That’s always a challenge.”

Long Beach State (6-18, 4-11) stayed close in the first half, thanks to a 19-18 rebounding edge. But neither team shot well, with the Aggies making only 34.8% from the field and the 49ers 31%.

Marcel Jackson and Jibril Hodges led Long Beach State with 10 points each.

Lonnie White

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UC Santa Barbara 98, Cal State Fullerton 95 -- The Gauchos (14-10, 8-7 Big West) survived poor free-throw shooting in the first overtime and a wild comeback by the Titans (9-15, 5-10) in the second to move into third place in the conference standings with three games remaining before 250 at Titan Gym.

Fullerton, which finished the game with only six players left, is tied with UC Riverside for seventh.

Santa Barbara missed all but three of nine free-throw attempts in the first overtime.

Santa Barbara scored the first eight points in the second overtime, but Fullerton rallied to 96-95 with 57 seconds left. The Titans had two opportunities to score but Bob Brown lost the ball in traffic with 11 seconds left and trailing, 98-95, Anthony Bolton missed a three-point attempt with one second left.

Paul McLeod

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UC Irvine 65, Idaho 63 -- Jeff Gloger made a 16-foot jump shot at the buzzer to give the Anteaters (11-14, 6-9 Big West) a much-needed victory before 1,521 at the Bren Center.

Despite losing starting guard Mike Efevberha to suspension on Wednesday, Irvine won its second consecutive league game to pull into sixth place and improve its chances of making the conference tournament.

“We were trying to get [Ross Schraeder] open for the shot but the defense was keying on him and it gave me the opportunity to create for myself,” Gloger said. “Thankfully the shot went in.”

Irvine made several big baskets late after blowing an 18-point halftime lead. Schraeder, who made six three-pointers and scored a career-high 27 points, made a jumper for a 61-60 lead with 1:13 left but Idaho’s Lionel Davis answered with a bucket.

Adam Parada (14 points) made a jump hook with 18.2 seconds left to regain the lead. Davis tied it at 63 with a free throw, setting up the Anteaters’ final possession.

Tyrone Hayes had 14 points to lead Idaho (12-14, 8-8), which had won seven of its last eight.

Eric Stephens

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Cal Poly San Luis Obispo 97, UC Riverside 95 -- Varnie Dennis had 31 points to lead the Mustangs (9-14, 4-11 Big West) to an overtime victory over the Highlanders (8-15, 5-10) in front of 1,021 at the Student Recreation Center.

Nate Carter had a season-high 24 points for Riverside and Rickey Porter added a career-high 23 points with five three-pointers.

Pepperdine 93, San Francisco 80 -- Yakhouba Diawara had 28 points and Glen McGowan had 25 to help the Waves (14-14, 9-4 West Coast Conference) avenge an earlier loss to the Dons (16-13, 6-7).

The host Dons trailed throughout as Pepperdine took an early 16-4 lead. San Francisco cut it to 52-46 with 15:36 left but could get no closer to the Waves, who shot 64.2% from the field.

Loyola Marymount 77, St. Mary’s 76 -- Wes Wardrop made two free throws with 4.5 seconds left to send the visiting Lions (14-12, 5-8 WCC) past the Gaels (17-11, 8-5).

Keith Kincade led the Lions with 19 points.

Loyola Marymount, which led by 13 points in the first half, trailed by eight with 6:34 left.

“This was a real gutsy performance by our team tonight,” Coach Steve Aggers said. “We showed great poise down the stretch and executed our offense well tonight. We came in and earned a big win against a very good team.”

From Associated Press