Senior 3-point specialist Greg Plater sparked the Long Beach State men’s basketball team to a fourth-place finish Monday afternoon in the Paradise Jam at the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Plater, who scored 18 points to lead the 49ers, drained four of his five 3-pointers in the second half of a 78-72 victory over Iowa.
It was a balanced attack for LBSU (3-2), which had all five starters score in double figures. Eugene Phelps added 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting, T.J. Robinson notched a double-double with 14 points and 15 rebounds, and Casper Ware chipped in 14 points and eight assists.
Larry Anderson had an all-around solid effort with 12 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
“The most encouraging thing is not what we did but how we played,” LBSU head coach Dan Monson said in a release. “We played together. It has been a real emphasis that we play more together. We did a really good job of that. We had more assists than turnovers for the first time this year. It wasn’t a perfectly played game but we will get a lot better if we play that hard and that together.”
Iowa (2-3) finished sixth in the tournament and was paced by Bryce Cartwright’s 17 points off the bench.
The ‘Niners had a 46-37 rebounding advantage, including 21-8 on the offensive glass.
The Hawkeyes, who led 33-31 at the half, closed to within 71-68 after an Eric May 3-pointer with 2:11 to play but would get no closer.
The 49ers won despite a depleted bench. Edis Dervisevic and Lin Chang missed the contest with various injuries, while Tristan Wilson served a suspension for “attitude detrimental to the team,” according to a release.
The Beach returns home Saturday to face Loyola Marymount in a 7:05 p.m. start at the Walter Pyramid. Last season, the Lions came away with a five-point, overtime victory in Los Angeles.
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