One thing that plagued the Long Beach State men’s basketball team last season was letdowns. Through the first two games of Big West Conference play, the 49ers look like a team that is ready to change that this year.
LBSU led by as many as 24 points in a wire-to-wire, 69-53 blowout over Cal Poly at Mott Gym in San Luis Obispo.
The 49ers (7-8, 2-0 Big West) blitzed the Mustangs with a 14-2 run — six of the seven baskets coming on layups — to take a 43-20 lead just 5 minutes into the second half and cruised the rest of the way.
“I was pleased with our focus and our maturity on the overall trip,” LBSU head coach Dan Monson said in a statement about sweeping UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly on the road. “They are starting to learn, trust each other, and believe in what we are trying to do. We are headed in the right direction this week. To learn and be 2-0 is a good thing.”
Cal Poly (4-8, 0-1 Big West) cut the deficit down to 13 on David Hanson’s 3-pointer with 59 seconds left but it was too little, too late.
Junior forward T.J. Robinson scored 22 points on an efficient 9-of-11 from the field and grabbed nine rebounds to lead the 49ers, who shot 53.1 percent (26-of-49) and had a 38-24 edge on the boards.
Larry Anderson, who was back in the starting lineup after coming off the bench in the conference opener, added 11 points and six rebounds. Senior guard Greg Plater also finished in double figures with 12 points.
The 49ers’ bench contributed a solid effort as Edis Dervisevic and Tristan Wilson combined for 13 points. Dervisevic made all four of his field goal attempts.
Meanwhile, senior guard Brandon Nevens, who has missed the past two seasons because of a kidney ailment, checked into his first career game for The Beach.
Hanson paced the Mustangs with 21 points but shot just 9-of-20 from the field. Guard Jamal Johnson added 12 points in 16 minutes off the bench.
As a team, Cal Poly made just 39 percent (23-of-59) of its shots and made just eight trips to the free-throw line.
The 49ers made 13 of 24 shots (54.2 percent) in the first half and led 29-18 at halftime.
Leading 10-8 midway through the half, LBSU went on a 10-4 run capped by a Robinson jumper with 6:05 remaining. Cal Poly, which forced 11 first-half turnovers, closed to within 20-18 but the ‘Niners ended the half on a 9-0 spurt.
LBSU will return to the Walter Pyramid for the first time in more than a month next Wednesday to face Cal State Northridge (4-9, 1-1 Big West). Tipoff is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
The Matadors defeated UC Davis, 87-81, tonight at the Matadome.
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