Tidal Wave
The Long Beach State men’s basketball team pulls away from Utah State in the second half
Playing one of their most complete games of the year, the Long Beach State men’s basketball team uses several second half runs to defeat Utah State 75-62 before 2,656 fans at the Walter Pyramid.
Long Beach State shot an incredible 51% (25-of-49) from the field including 42.1% (8-of-19) from behind the arc. The 49ers were also very effective on the defensive end limiting USU’s overall field goal percentage to 38.2% (21-of-55).
The Beach (6-4) were once again led by the dynamic duo of T.J. Robinson and Casper Ware.
Robinson was nearly unstoppable matching his season high in points (25) while grabbing a game-high 11 rebounds. This marked the 6th time T.J. has recorded a double-double this season.
Ware also had an unbelievable night throwing in 19 points and dishing out a game-high seven assists. Casper also had a good night on the defensive end limiting USU’s star guard to a season low 7 points.
Utah State (6-4) was led by Tai Wesley’s 22 points and 7 rebounds.
Long Beach State now concludes their non-conference season with a game at LMU before traveling across the country to face perennial powers Kentucky and Duke.
Images taken at the game:
Quotes from the game:
Long Beach State’s head coach Dan Monson:
“I really was proud of our guys taking a game plan and executing it. Your only chance against a team like that is to disrupt them and frustrate them …”
“I thought Casper controlled the game. Not just offensively because some shots went in … he went in there and made one or two bad decisions in the paint, but he made about 10 good ones. The one unheralded thing is, you follow Utah State this year and show somebody else that makes Quayle go 2-for-11.”
“That was encouraging. There isn’t any doubt in my mind that it was our most complete game of the year, especially defensively.”
“If we can somehow get by on Monday [at Loyola Maramount], we’ll have won all our mid-major games. I tell these guys, Utah State wouldn’t go out and have a letdown on Monday.”
LBSU’s point guard Casper Ware
“I was just worrying about defense first [speaking of Utah State's Jared Quayle]. Just to get him frustrated, that was my main key. It’s really hard to stop a good player like that, so I just wanted to get him frustrated.”
“I was shocked [speaking of T.J.'s monster dunk]. I thought he was just going to lay it up.”
LBSU’s power forward T.J. Robinson
“I don’t know what came out of me [speaking of his crowd pleasing slam-dunk]. I just went up with intensity and dunked it.”
Utah State’s head coach Stew Morrill
“We missed a lot of shots. This was pretty disappointing. I didn’t think we played that well in the first half but we were only down by three. Then we came out and played worse in the second half. We couldn’t make a shot. We couldn’t get a stop on the defensive end.”
“I think the entire game was frustrating. It wasn’t one thing more than the other. When things started going bad, we gave in. When you start giving up runs it kind of makes things tough.”
Utah State’s power forward Tai Wesley
“This was embarrassing. We got it handed to us tonight. We’re going to have to figure some things out as a team. Guys right now think they can just show up and win 30 games. It just doesn’t work that way. That’s not how it happens.”
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