Photo by Dexter Bercero

Salahuddin brings it on home

Losing to San Jose State was not on the Cal State Long Beach men's basketball team's things-to-do-today-list on Saturday.

Not with five seniors playing at home for the last time. Not after a humbling 71-61 loss to Pacific at The Pyramid on Thursday that cost them first place in the Big West Conference.

Especially not for Rasul Salahuddin.

The 49er point guard turned in an electrifying performance at a most prime time, it being Homecoming and all. Salahuddin scored 15 points and nabbed five steals to lead the 49ers to a 105-86 romp at The Pyramid.

"Rasul doesn't play to play," Coach Sten Greenberg said. "He plays to win."

Greenberg wasn't sure if Salahuddin would play at all Saturday. The senior point guard was hampered by a torn ligament in his right thumb that required a splint.

But this was his time, his final home game in an abbreviated two-year CSULB career. Sitting on the bench for 40 minutes was certainly not on his personal to-do list either.

"It's hard to keep me off the basketball court," Salahuddin said. "I just tried to forget about [the thumb]."

Consider it forgotten. Salahuddin had his wrapped hand in everything the 49ers did early. He snapped CSULB out of an early doldrums, throwing an alleyoop to Akeli Jackson that Jackson slammed home for the 49ers' first lead of the game at 9-8. They would n ot trail again.

The nation's fifth-leading stealer followed that with a steal and breakaway dunk. He did it again less than two minutes later in the 49ers' 18-5 run, which saw them go from trailing, 8-5, to up, 23-13.

"I just tried to go out there and play tough defense," said Salahuddin, who also dished out seven assists.

That he did and it was key as Greenberg brought his guards out above the top of the key to harass SJSU's primary ball handler, Tito Addison and Marmet Williams.

The strategy paid off in a series of fast breaks, layups and dunks, enabling the 49ers to achieve season highs in points and shooting percentage [63.3]

"We played terrific offensively," Greenberg said. "I thought we moved the ball well ... We had great focus tonight."

To hear Greenberg tell it, they had better be focused after Thursday's slipup put the 49ers [16-10, 11-6] on the back-side of their leapfrog game with UC Irvine, which leads second-place CSULB by percentage points in the Big West.

Greenberg, nearly overcome by emotion even afterward, implored his team before the game to ensure the seniors left The Pyramid for the last time as winners.

"I'm proud how we hung in there as a team," he said. "Let's face it, Thursday was not pretty.

"But The Pyramid's a special place. To play the last five games essentially in front of standing-room-only crowds has created an atmosphere."

It is an atmosphere Salahuddin helped create. He energized the crowd on play after play during his 30 minutes, including this sizzler : Salahuddin steals the ball in the back court and, in the same moment, throws a behind-the-back pass to a streaking Juaq uin Hawkins. He gives the ball up after a couple of dribbles to James Cotton, who powers down a two-handed jam to put the 49ers up 81-62.

By the time Salahuddin left the court for good with two minutes remaining, it was to a standing ovation from the 4,437 in attendance with his team up by 20 points.

In the afterglow of the locker room, Salahuddin still surrounded by a flock of autograph-seeking children off the court in a pied-piper spectacle, reflected on his time spent in a 49er uniform, a time he wishes would have been of greater duration.

"I had a great time here and a great season," he said.

The five seniors addressed the crowd after the game, offering thanks for the support. Eric Brown eagerly awaited the Big West Tournament. Gerry Branner took the microphone and relayed the message that there was a party at Salahuddin's place. That, one can imagine, must have been quite a time, too.