49ers ousted on last second shot

The Long Beach State men’s basketball team had its NCAA tournament at-large hopes all but buried by Creighton senior guard Antoine Young Saturday night in Omaha.

Young hit a difficult game winning fade-away jumper over the out-stretched arms of LBSU senior forward T.J. Robinson with 0.3 seconds remaining, giving Creighton a hard-fought 81-79 victory.

The ‘Niners exited the melee as the ‘Jays faithful rushed the court in a pre-mature celebration, but were called back to the hardwood after a review showed that there was 0.3 seconds remaining after the Young jumper. LBSU’s last chance fell short, however, as there was only enough time for a tip-in attempt.

The 49ers (19-7, 12-0 Big West) held the lead for nearly the entire contest, holding the advantage from 12:27 remaining in the first half up until the eventual game ending bucket from Young.

Creighton (23-5, 12-4 Missouri Valley) jumped out to an early 11-4 lead behind nine quick points from sophomore forward Doug McDermott. LBSU answered with a huge 25-12 run, putting them on top 29-23 with 7:39 to play.

With senior guard Casper Ware in foul trouble throughout the first half, senior guard Larry Anderson and Robinson were looked to for leadership, and they provided just that. An Anderson bucket gave the ‘Niners a nine-point lead, 37-28, with 4:54 to play in the opening period.

The Bluejays cut the lead back down to one on a 3-pointer from junior guard Josh Jones with 1:09 left in the first half. LBSU closed out the opening period with a 3-point shot from junior wing James Ennis and an NBA range jumper from Ware, taking a 46-41 lead into the break.

The Beach was able to extend its lead back to nine after a Robinson bucket four minutes into the second half, but were unable to extend the lead any further, as McDermott continued his scoring onslaught.

The ‘Jays cut the lead back down to one, 63-62, on a McDermott layup with 10:52 remaining in the contest.

Unfortunately for LBSU, their offense disappeared in the last 7:52 of the game. Creighton outscored the ‘Niners 17-9 over that timetable to secure the last second victory.

Robinson led the way for the 49ers, scoring 20 points on 8 of 10 shooting while pulling down eight rebounds. Ware scored 21 points on 7 of 14 shooting, including 3 of 6 from behind the arc.

Anderson scored 15 points on 6 of 8 shooting, including 2 of 3 from 3-point range. Senior forward Edis Dervisevic scored 10 points on 4 of 4 shooting. Senior forward Eugene Phelps was held scoreless while shooting just one field goal attempt. Phelps pulled down six boards on the evening.

LBSU shot a stellar 58.8 percent (30 of 51) as a team for the game. The ‘Niners connected on 46.7 percent (7 of 15) from 3-point range, and continued to struggle from the free throw line, connecting on just 60 percent (12 of 20) for the contest.

McDermott showed why he is considered one of the best players in college basketball. The Player of the Year candidate dropped a game-high 36 points on 14 of 20 shooting including 8 of 9 from the charity stripe. McDermott also pulled down 11 rebounds, also a game-high.

Young scored 16 points on 6 of 12 shooting, including the dagger that sealed the victory for the ‘Jays. While McDermott and Young paced Creighton, no other player on its squad scored more than eight points.

The Bluejays shot 50 percent (30 of 60) as a team for the contest, including 72.7 percent (16 of 22) from the free throw line. The ‘Jays were dismal from 3-point range, however, connecting on just 5 of 23 from distance.

LBSU will be back in action on Wednesday when they host conference rival UC Santa Barbara. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m.