Second-half surge helps LMU crush Beach, 73-57

By Michael Bower
Online Forty-Niner
Sports Editor

The Long Beach State men's basketball team cannot seem to put together 40 minutes of solid basketball as a second-half meltdown against host Loyola Marymount Saturday led to a 73-57 loss.

The 49ers (1-4) took a 32-29 lead going into half time, but came out flat in the second half, being outscored by LMU 44-25. LMU (4-1) took its first lead of the game at the 17:44 mark of the second half when they came out on a 6-2 run led by two free throws by Matthew Knight. Knight, averaging 14.5 points per game, was held scoreless in the first half but tallied up 13 points in the second half to help lead the comeback for LMU.

"If you look at the foul situation, that is where the ball game was lost," 49ers' Head Coach Larry Reynolds said. "They made 29 [free throws] and we made just 13. You just can't let teams parade to the free throw line and make free throws."

Junior Jibril Hodges led the 49ers with 14 points while junior transfer Shawn Hawkins added 13 and Anthony Coleman 10. Charles Brown scored 11 points and Daryl Pegram and Brandon Worthy both had 10 for LMU.

Reynolds changed the starting lineup for the game as he gave junior center Sam Byrd, junior guard Keion Kindred and senior forward Cody Pearson a chance along with regular starters Hawkins and Coleman. Byrd finished with six points, three rebounds and two blocks.

"We were giving some other guys a shot to see what they could do," Reynolds said. "Sam had a good game at UCLA and deserved a shot. We had to try and find something that works for us."

The game wasn't a complete blowout until the 10:26 mark in the second half. The 49ers made just one field goal at the 9:08 mark before being held scoreless for the next 8:11. LMU went on a 16-5 run to end the second half as the 49ers were struggling to find a bucket. The 49ers shot just 38 percent from the field in the second half while LMU shot 52 percent. LMU was impressive from the free throw line shooting 8-of-10 in the final two minutes of the game.

In the first half the 49ers took advantage of the Lions' 26 percent shooting from the field. Long Beach State's biggest lead was eight points, but 12-of-15 from the free throw line kept LMU in the game as they trailed by just three points at half time.

The 49ers will be back in action on Saturday when they take on the University of Portland at 7 p.m. in The Pyramid.