The Pyramid is calling for a blackout.
Looking to keep its 23-game home win streak against Big West Conference opponents alive, the Long Beach State men’s basketball team will host Cal State Fullerton tonight at the Walter Pyramid.
On Blackout Night, fans are being asked to wear black, and t-shirts will be given out at the game.
If The Beach (14-9, 10-2 Big West) is to earn a season sweep of the Titans (12-11, 5-6 Big West), it will begin on the defensive end.
Fullerton boasts the nation’s fourth-best offensive attack, as it averages 81.8 points per game. It also ranks 12th in the country with a .486 shooting percentage.
The Titans are anchored by D.J. Seeley and Kwame Vaughn, who rank first and second on the team in all three major offensive categories (points, rebounds and assists).
Seeley is tied with Corey Hawkins of UC Davis for the Big West in scoring, averaging 19.3 points a night. He also averages 4.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game.
Vaughn is third in the conference in scoring, tallying 18 points per game to go with 4.6 boards and 4.2 dimes.
LBSU’s James Ennis is not far behind. His 17.2 points and 6.6 rebounds per contest are good for fourth and tenth in the conference, respectively.
After scoring 21 points in Saturday’s win over Cal State Northridge, Ennis has now put up double figures 28 games in a row. He has also scored 20 or more points seven times this season.
The ‘Niners defeated Fullerton 81-71 on the road last month without forward Dan Jennings, who was suspended from the game for a bad attitude in practice. LBSU will have Jennings this time around and will also be in the comfortable surroundings of the Walter Pyramid, where it has won seven straight.
Sophomore guard Mike Caffey said the team can learn from its last road trip and become stronger moving forward. The 49ers lost to Hawaii and came from behind to defeat Cal State Northridge on Thursday and Saturday, respectively.
“That was a big learning experience,” Caffey said. “A lot of big teams like Duke versus Miami, they have their games. We’ve always got to come out, away or home, and play hard wherever we’re at. We’ve got our confidence back going into next week.”
LBSU head coach Dan Monson said after Saturday’s game that the team is still trying to lock down its true identity.
“A game like Hawaii is going to go one direction or the other,” he said. “It’s either going to dismantle a team or bring it closer, and hopefully it did the latter.”
Monson is one win away from number 100 at Long Beach State. The sixth-year coach is 99-86 since taking over.
Tip-off is set for 8 p.m., and the game will be televised on ESPNU.