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D'Cean Bryant's blank stare told the story.
Just minutes after Idaho handed the Long Beach State men's basketball squad its third consecutive loss Thursday night, 72-64, the 49er forward had little to celebrate.
Bryant and his fellow 49ers had just dragged their feet through Pyramid Park. And they had sleepy company almost the entire way, in the form of the Vandals from Moscow, Idaho.
But while the 49ers never recovered from their slumber, Vandals Coach David Farrar would awaken his team (15-10, 9-6 in Big West) just in time to score a few points and kiss win No. 15 squarely on the lips.
Strangely enough, what may have been the worst 49er performance of the season also landed Long Beach a spot in the Big West Conference Tournament in Reno, Nev.
"Are you sure?" Bryant said.
The confusion is somewhat easy to understand. Four teams were seized up in a grind to the regular-season finish. But the tournament-clinching win for Long Beach rested on Irvine's Thursday night win over UC Santa Barbara, 64-58, which allowed the 49ers into the tournament through the back door.
Thursday's contest, a game in which the 49ers watched one of the smallest lineups in the nation outrebound them, seemed to move in slow motion.
The 49ers had scored just six points and Idaho seven with eight minutes gone by in the first half. Although Long Beach (10-17, 5-10) once again received inspired play from point guard Antrone Lee, his teammates did not follow his lead. Lee's 10 first-half points led the 49ers. But center Andrew Betts and Bryant, who has had a hot touch of late, could not provide enough energy to boost the slumping 49er program.
Betts could not establish inside position and mustered just 13 points on the night, against a team whose starting center stood eight inches shorter than Betts.
"He is a very strong guy. He made it very difficult for me," said Betts of 270 pound 6-foot-5 Tosi. "He'd be a better football player than a basketball player."
Although Bryant sparked the 49ers in the first half with three shots from downtown, he disappeared in the second half, scoring just five points amid a flurry of missed bombs.
Vandal Avery Curry scored 15 of his 23 points in the second half, as Idaho outscored Long Beach 43-32. Kevin Byrne came off the bench and chipped in 11 points, eight in the second half.
Idaho used an 8-0 run starting at 6:01 left in the game to take a 61-51 lead. The 10-point lead proved too much for the 49ers to overcome.
"We had a lapse of two or three minutes that cost us the game," Long Beach Coach Morgan said.
As Long Beach looks ahead to Reno, Morgan will have to find a way to motivate his squad. Morgan said he was pleased to learn of his team's tournament bid, but also added "you'd like to earn your way there."
Senior Quincy Nuckles, who fractured his thumb earlier in the season, will make his return at the tournament. Nuckles had provided steady ball handling, solid defense and an excellent outside shooting touch for the 49ers.
As the fourth-seeded team in the Western Division, Long Beach will meet the top dog of the East, Utah State.
The 49ers begin tournament action Friday. If Long Beach wins the tournament, it will automatically receive a spot in the NCAA Tournament.