Back to Winning

Long Beach State secures the 3rd seed with their 76-74 win over UC Riverside.

In a very exciting game to end the regular season, the men’s basketball team from LBSU defeats UCR behind some stellar peremiter shooting.   Stephan Gilling and Greg Plater go 9-16 behind the arc accounting for 35 of the team’s 76 points.

With the win, the 49ers secure a 3rd place confernce finish and await either the 5th or 8th seed Thursday night in the Big West quarter finals.

Game images at: Ballin’ at Da Beach – Facebook – Flickr

From Long Beach State reports – Box Score

It wasn’t easy, but Long Beach State wrapped up at least the fourth seed and a first-round bye in next week’s Big West Conference Tournament Friday night.

The Beach (15-15, 8-8 Big West) built a double-digit lead and then held off a UC Riverside (12-17, 5-11 Big West) rally to claim a 76-74 Big West Conference win at the Walter Pyramid in front of 4,164 fans. LBSU locked up the fourth seed, but cand still claim the third seed if UC Davis beats Cal State Fullerton Saturday and Cal Poly loses at home to UC Irvine.

The game wasn’t decided until the final second of the game. After Greg Plater missed a pair of free throws with six seconds to play that would have clinched the victory, the Highlanders raced down the court and got the ball to Niko Brooks for a possible game winning 3-pointer. Casper Ware ended Brooks’, and the Highlanders’, hopes when he blocked the shot. It was the perfect end to a great game for the sophomore point guard. Ware finished with 11 points, six rebounds, four assists (with just one turnover), three steals and the crucial block.