New
coaching staff nets first win at LBSU
By Karl Peterson
On-line Forty-Niner
Although
it will not count in the standings, the
Long Beach State men’s basketball team won
its first game under the direction of its
new coaching staff Wednesday night at The
Pyramid.
Led by the hot hand of senior guard Tony
Darden, the 49ers beat Global Sports, 78-77,
in the final game of exhibition play. Darden
led The Beach with 22 points on 7-of-12
shooting, scoring five of the 49ers final
seven points.
“Tony is an excellent shooter, and he’s
going to have to knock them (shots) down
if we’re going to win,” head coach Larry
Reynolds said.
The 49ers led the game for almost the entire
first half, but The Beach’s inability to
secure defensive rebounds allowed Global
Sports, a team comprised of former college
players who tours the country playing exhibition
contests, to creep back into the game.
A crowd of 1,461 witnessed an exciting finish
as Darden hit a running two-point shot with
26 seconds left in the game as the shot
clock expired.
After Darden’s shot put the 49ers up 76-73,
Global Sports connected on back-to-back
baskets to take the lead 77-76.
Down by one with time running down, freshman
point guard Jibril Hodges alertly found
Chris Jenkins streaking down the court.
Hodges recorded his ninth assist of the
game as Jenkins converted on the lay up,
giving LBSU the lead for good.
Junior forward Kevin Roberts registered
another solid game, scoring 19 points and
grabbing nine rebounds in a team-high 35
minutes.
Reynolds indicated that Roberts should play
that many minutes for the entire season
and that the starting line-up for Wednesday’s
game will remain the starting unit for the
foreseeable future.
Senior forward Lemi Williams saw his first
action since having surgery on both legs
in January. Williams looked to be slowed
by the injuries, but scored six points in
13 minutes, connecting on two three-point
baskets.
In addition, Alex Graham, a redshirt freshman
center, played for the first time in a 49ers
uniform, playing four minutes in the first
half. Graham received cheers from the crowd
as he checked in, but looked hesitant on
the court in limited play.
George Banks led Global Sports with 15 points
off the bench and forward Charles Gosa chipped
in 11 points and eight rebounds.
The 49ers will begin the regular season
with a tough road game against the University
of North Carolina at Charlotte on Friday.
The game will be a homecoming of sorts for
Darden who is from Snow Hill, N.C. Darden
said he has reserved tickets for friends
and family who want to make the four-hour
drive to see him play.
Reynolds said he expects junior transfer
student Darnell Thompson to be available
for the game against Charlotte. Thompson
has not been playing while he resolves academic
issues.
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