49ers
tame lions, secure solid win
By Andrew De Lara
Staff Writer
The pack of Lions from Loyola Marymount got a taste of pouncing in The Walter
Pyramid Wednesday night, as the high-octane offense of the Long Beach
State men’s basketball team handed LMU their fourth loss of the season,
93-85.
Senior forward Shawn Hawkins spearheaded The Beach in its frantic pace and pressure
defense, tallying a solid 19 points and eight rebounds to lead the 49ers in break-out-game
fashion.
“
I think he just kind of went out there and dominated,” said
49er Head Coach Larry Reynolds, referring to Hawkins’ solid
performance and leadership on the court. “He’s a hard
guy for other teams to match up with. They had 6’10” and
6’11” guys trying to guard him — Shawn has pretty
good quickness, is strong and is able to get to the basket.”
Junior point guard Kevin Houston chipped in 16 points, while junior guard Aaron
Nixon continued his streak of double-
double performances with 12 despite suffering from the flu during the game.
“
He’s had the flu this week, so he was a little winded there,
said Reynolds, referring to Nixon. “He felt a little weak
today, and I expect him to have bigger and better games — but he’s
just really consistent, strong and gives us a tremendous effort both offensively
and defensively. He will be a standout player for us this season.”
Junior forward Sterling Byrd declared himself a solid scoring threat from long
range as he connected for 100 percent shooting from the three-point range; going
four-for-four and rounding out four Beach players in double-digits with 12 on
the night.
“He’s a tremendous shooter,” Reynolds said. “He’s
just kind of hiding over there and no one’s really paying any attention
to him. And when Jibril’s not in the game, all of a sudden he knocks down
some threes.”
Three-point bombs and hard drives to the basket characterized the beginning of
the match, as The Beach jumped out to an early 6-0 lead less than two minutes
into the game.
An 8-0 run ending with less than 13 minutes in the first half saw the 49ers build
momentum up to half time, where The Beach enjoyed a 41-31 lead.
And just when the Lions sought to cut the lead, the 49ers wasted no time in pouncing
in the second half, as they built a massive 19-point lead with 14 minutes left
in the game.
A let down by The Beach allowed LMU to climb back into the game, cutting the
lead to single digits late in the match, but The Beach closed the game out with
a lay up by junior forward Mark Dawson, and a free throw by Nixon.
The win was welcomed by scores of Beach students in the stands, fired up and
rowdy for the live television cameras that broadcasted the game on Fox Sports
Net.
“Oh it was great to have a crowd out there,” said Reynolds. “Our
student section is just incredible under that basket. With students
down on that end and the students at half court, this can be a very
tough place for opponents to come in and play.”
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