Photo by John Kennedy

Men get flashy in intrasquad game

James Cotton, who broke a rib in practice last week did not play in Saturday's men's basketball Black-Gold intrasquad game, but there was still plenty of talent on The Pyramid floor. The Black squad beat the Gold 46-41 in front of a receptive audience.

Forward Akeli Jackson of the Black squad led all scorers with 15 points, scoring baskets from various parts of the court.

The 49ers' two-headed center, Ike Nwankwo and Brian Yankelevitz, showed a great deal of skill at that position. Nwankwo, a transfer from UCLA, scored eight points and pulled down 11 rebounds for the Gold squad, while Yankelevitz scored 11 and managed five boards.

Neither of the two has locked up the starting job; Nwankwo is ineligible for the first six games of the season, so Yankelevitz gets the nod early.

It remains possible that team co-captain Yankelevitz will continue as the team's regular center, said 49ers coach Wayne Morgan.

"Ike will have to earn the starting position from Yankelevitz," Morgan said.

Nwankwo feels that if he is not in the game, Yankelevitz will take care of the 49ers' needs at center.

"It's a benefit to our team," he said. "He's smart, and he plays hard as well."

Saturday's game marked the Cal State Long Beach debut of Antrone Lee, a 6-foot 7-inch transfer from Georgia. Lee's hustle at both ends of the court showed why Morgan is glad to have acquired him.

"I like to pass and create for other players," Lee said. "I look out for my teammates."

Creation was the flavor of the day, with the two squads combining for seven dunks and a number of near misses.

One of the more visible matchups was at forward, between Jackson and Marcus Johnson. While both players had impressive moments, Jackson got the better end of the bargain overall; he went to the free-throw line seven times, largely because Johnson was called for 10 personal fouls. There were no disqualifications, so Johnson kept playing after picking up his sixth.

The game showed that the 49ers have skill and depth.

One truly substandard facet of the game for both squads was free-throw shooting. the teams combined percentage was .444.

While all the players worked hard during the game, there was a smile to be seen on almost every player's face.

"I think they had a lot of fun," Morgan said. "And that's important."

Cotton is not expected to return to the court for at least two weeks. Team physician Peter Kurzweil will re-evaluate his status at that time.

The 49ers next take the court Nov. 12 at The Pyramid against the USDBL All-Stars. The regular season begins Nov. 25, when the team hosts Wyoming. Tickets for those contests and all other home games are on sale now at $8 and up. Also available are season tickets, which start at $100.