On a night when little-used forward Lin Chang outscored All-Big West Conference teammate T.J. Robinson in less than half the minutes, the Long Beach State men’s basketball team still won.
Go figure.
Chang, who scored eight points in eight minutes, came off the bench to hit back-to-back 3-pointers midway through the second half and send the Maniacs student section into a frenzy Monday night at the Walter Pyramid.
The 49ers defeated Division II program San Francisco State, 82-65, despite just six points and six rebounds in 22 minutes from Robinson, who also committed five of his six turnovers in the first half.
Meanwhile, Chang showcased some newfound confidence after the long-range jumpers, attacking the basket and even getting to the free-throw line. Then, reality set in as he clanged his last 3 off the side of the backboard with 24 seconds left.
OK, so he is not going to be mistaken for an All-American.
But, hey, Chang walked off the floor to a standing ovation after a productive performance that exceeded anything the junior conjured up all of last season.
By the final minute, the fans were having fun with the last of the reserves, including Mike Vantrimpont, who heard chants of “Mike! Mike! Mike!” but his teammates let the clock run out before he could get a touch.
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Monday was also a good night, personally, for the Starkey family.
Sean Starkey, who redshirted last season, checked into his first career LBSU game late in the second half and logged six minutes. Meanwhile, sister Alyssa Starkey, a newcomer for the 49ers women’s basketball team, earned her first career start and grabbed six rebounds in 25 minutes.
Baby steps, baby steps.
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It was a night to forget, however, for the statisticians.
While awaiting the final recaps from both Daily 49er writers, there was an apparent error with the final box scores.
Of course, that had to happen on one of the few weeknights we could put a recap in print the following day.
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Overall, it wasn’t an impressive night for either 49ers team. Loyola Marymount started the contest with a 26-0 run en route to a 31-point drubbing that LBSU women’s basketball head coach Jody Wynn probably didn’t have in mind — depleted roster or not.
Men’s basketball head coach Dan Monson couldn’t have been too happy, either, and his team won by 17 points. San Francisco State had a 15-10 lead midway through a sluggish first half before the 49ers realized that the Gators were a Division II squad.
That kind of performance won’t cut it against teams like Saint Mary’s, which will face Monson’s 49ers in the John R. Wooden Classic in December.
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In fact, the Gaels were part of ESPN’s 20-plus hours of college basketball marathon that started late Monday.
If Monson was still awake, he probably didn’t get much sleep after watching forward Clint Steindl drain seven of Saint Mary’s 10 3-pointers in a 76-71 victory over St. John’s in a game that didn’t start until 11 p.m.
Think that’s bad? Stony Brook and Monmouth didn’t get started until 6 a.m. in New Jersey (3 a.m. PT) but by then my eyes were fading.
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