ANAHEIM — Long Beach State junior Casper Ware proved Thursday why he’s this season’s Big West Conference Player of the Year.
In a head-to-head exchange with UC Irvine forward Eric Wise, the 5-10 point guard willed the top-seeded 49ers men’s basketball team to a 79-72 quarterfinal victory over the No. 8 Anteaters in the conference tournament opener at the Honda Center.
Both Ware and Wise finished with a game-high 23 points. The 49ers’ star guard made 6 of 12 from 3-point range, while UCI’s all-conference honorable mention selection was 9 of 17 from the floor.
With LBSU trailing 63-62 after a pair of Wise free throws, Ware drained a go-ahead 3-pointer with 3:04 to play. On the shot, Ware’s right leg cramped up and he had to be carried off the floor by teammates Lin Chang and Mike Vantrimpont.
“As soon as I went up for the shot, I felt it lock up automatically,” Ware said. “So, I tried to hop up on the other leg and that leg started to cramp, so I had no choice but to go down to the floor.”
After four LBSU free throws, Wise converted a 3-point play to cut the lead to 69-66 with 1:59 remaining, prompting the gutsy 49ers point guard to check back into the game.
Trailing 72-68, UCI once again went back to Wise, who spun in the lane to break free for an easy layup with 1:12 left.
But like he has so many times this season, Ware had an answer.
The junior came down on the ensuing possession and pulled up for a free-throw line jump shot with 48.1 seconds to play, giving The Beach a 74-70 advantage.
“It’s a in-the-moment thing,” Ware said. “I am just happy Larry found me (with the pass). … We’ve just been good at it, converting on those shots.”
The 49ers then iced the game on Larry Anderson’s layup and continuation 3-point play with 30 seconds left to escape a first-round upset.
“We knew coming in here that it wasn’t going to be easy,” LBSU head coach Dan Monson said. “I thought it was a character win for the team.
“It’s tough to be the hunted. And we’ve been the hunted all year, but it’s different when it’s seven hunters (in the tournament field) instead of one.”
Anderson added 18 points in the victory on 7-of-10 shooting. Teammate T.J. Robinson chipped in 15 points — 11 of which came from the free-throw line.
UCI guard Patrick Rembert finished with 19 points, but shot just 5 of 14 from the floor.
“I thought it was a really good game,” UCI first-year head coach Russell Turner said. “I’m disappointed that we didn’t win it, but I’m really proud of my guys.”
After shooting under 32 percent in the first half, the ‘Niners hit 16 of 27 shots (59.3 percent) in the final 20 minutes. LBSU also connected on 8 of 18 from beyond the arc.
The Beach took a 30-29 lead into the locker room after a sloppy first half and 20 combined fouls marred play.
With an early noon start, both teams started the game sluggish and combined to connect on just 6 of 28 shots more than midway through the first half.
It was the 49ers, however, who struggled most with poor shot selection and trailed 13-4 with 12:26 to play. But LBSU was able to get to the free-throw line to chip away, and a Brandon Nevens layup with 8:17 until halftime tied the game at 15.
Ware, who made just 3 of 11 in the first 20 minutes, started to heat up from the 3-point line to give LBSU its first lead.
The junior nailed a 3 inside the final five minutes to put the 49ers ahead, 24-22. Wise — who picked up three fouls in the half — then tied the game with a layup, but Ware answered with another 3 to make it 27-24 with under three minutes left.
“I think we were just anxious in the beginning,” Ware said of the 49ers’ slow start after a 10-day layoff.
With the win, LBSU will advance to Friday’s second round and face No. 7 UC Riverside at 6:30 p.m. on ESPNU. The Highlanders upset No. 2 Cal Poly in overtime, 70-66, later in the day.
“It’s March, so we expect two more great basketball games,” Monson said. “We also expect to win.”
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