With the student section holding larger than life head cutouts of the seven seniors, any emotions attached to Senior Night were left until the postgame ceremony as a focused Long Beach State men’s basketball team dismantled visiting UC Irvine.
The 49ers (22-7, 15-0 Big West Conference) controlled the tempo and cruised to a 77-50 victory over the Anteaters (11-18, 6-9 Big West) on Wednesday night.
Seniors Larry Anderson, Eugene Phelps, T.J. Robinson, Casper Ware, Edis Dervisevic, Corey Jackson and Sean Starkey were bid farewell by 3,785 49er fans following the game at the Walter Pyramid.
LBSU head coach Dan Monson said this is the most special group of seniors he has ever coached and it will be hard to say goodbye once the season ends.
“I love them and I thank their parents for trusting me to develop them and coach them,” Monson said.
After leading 38-20 at the half, LBSU wasted no time expanding its lead after the break. Early in the second half, Ware caught fire, knocking down three consecutive shots from behind the arc to give the ‘Niners a 57-30 lead.
“It was a good team win,” Monson said. “I think we’re playing our best basketball at the right time and that is exciting. Defensively, I like our activity, I like our disruption.”
The LBSU defense forced the ‘Eaters into 17 turnovers (15 coming off steals) for the contest, while holding UCI to just 31.7 percent shooting (20 of 63). The ‘Niners connected on 47.6 percent from the field for the game (30 of 63).
Ware led all scorers with 16 points on 5 of 11 shooting including 4 of 9 3-point range. The senior guard added four assists, three rebounds and four steals.
“I think this is the best defensive stand we’ve had the last two games,” Ware said. “Usually we play a good one then let down, but I think we’re coming together to realize we’ve got to play hard all the time.”
Robinson, who is one of only three active players in all of Division I basketball with 1,000 career points and rebounds added the 53rd double-double of his career with 10 points while pulling down 12 boards.
Phelps added 11 points for The Beach and is now 11 away from 1,000 for his career.
Dervisevic and Starkey both contributed career-highs in scoring with 10 and eight points, respectively.
Reflecting on his career, Phelps said: “I’m really proud to play for Long Beach State. I thought [the giant player head in the stands was] pretty funny. I want it after the season, I’ll give it to my mom so she can hang it up.”
The Anteaters were led by Mike Best, who scored 11 points to go with eight rebounds. Best was also only player for UCI to score in double figures.
‘Eaters leading scorer Daman Starring scored just two points on 1 of 9 shooting.
The Beach will return to the court Saturday when it heads to Cal State Fullerton for the last game of the regular season at 4 p.m.
“We’re going to have our toughest league game of the season on Saturday,” Monson said.
If LBSU is able to top the Titans, it will become the first team in Big West history to finish the regular season conference schedule with a 16-0 record.
In order to complete the task, Robinson said: “We have to be focused, with an edge and play our game. Put this [tonight’s victory] in the past, we won it and we had a great Senior Night but now we have to go back to business.”
The ‘Niners will enter the Big West Tournament as a No. 1 seed regardless of Saturday’s outcome on March 8.
Whatever you do, do not screw up in Anaheim!