Long Beach makes things difficult
Long Beach State University celebrated Homecoming Saturday night, and the 49ers certainly gave fans something to cheer about. LBSU defeated the Aggies 71-56 at the Pyramid.
The loss gives Utah State a 22-4 overall record, 11-2 in Big West Conference play, second only to the University of California at Irvine. UC Irvine defeated California Polytechnic State University Saturday, improving its league record to 12-1.
Despite managing to tie the game at 31 points with three minutes remaining in the first half, USU fell five points behind at half-time, 35-40.
With 10 minutes left in the game, Dimitri Jorssen brought the Aggies to within one point of the 49ers, 51-52. Long Beach, however, proceeded to wreak havoc, going on a 9-0 rampage against USU. For the first time in eight games, the Aggies allowed their opponent to score more than 60 points, and there were still seven minutes left in the game. In all, during the final 10 minutes, LBSU outscored USU 17-5.
USU’s Shawn Daniels led the Aggies with 17 points and 13 rebounds. Jorssen and Tony Brown also recorded double-digit points, 10 and 13, respectively. Bernard Rock, however, was held to just three points. Another uncharacteristic Aggie statistic: The bench scored only four points.
Travis Reed spearheaded the offensive campaign for the 49ers, recording a team-high 19 points and a team-high five offensive rebounds. Three other athletes, Lemi Williams, Michael Darrett and Ron Johnson, also scored in double digits.
“This is absolutely one of the worst defensive games we’ve played since I’ve been here,” Daniels said.
“[LBSU was] energized. They were the aggressors,” said head coach Stew Morrill. “It’s a challenge to keep your energy up in these dog-days of February.”
Daniels said the 49ers had an advantage playing at home.
“Everybody seems to play better at home,” he said. “They were shooting with a lot of confidence.”
Morrill added: “[the Gauchos] were very good tonight. And we weren’t very good.”
Some fans may be disappointed in the loss, but head coach Stew Morrill has noted throughout the season he felt the team would lose a few games.
“Somehow, we have raised the bar so high that everybody thought we were never supposed to lose,” Morrill said at a press conference Tuesday. “The thing I am trying to avoid is the frustration on my part and on [the team’s] part when we are 22-4 and 11-2, and all of the sudden it’s like we’re letting some people down. [This is] the best start in school history.”
USU will play its final road game of the year Saturday when it travels to Boise State University in Idaho.
The Broncos are currently 13-12 on the season and in sixth place in the BWC. BSU has won four of its last 10 games. USU is 15-4 all-time vs. the Broncos and has a 4-4 record in Boise.