The Long Beach State men’s basketball team registered its first win of the 2020-21 season, defeating Seattle University 80-75 Sunday at the Walter Pyramid.
Senior guard Isaiah Washington led the Beach (1-1) with 21 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Washington also made a three-pointer with less than two minutes to go, breaking the 72-72 tie to give the Beach the lead for good.
The Beach also got contributions from junior guard Mcihael Carter III, who had 20 points while junior forward Joe Hampton chipped in 16 points and five rebounds.
Junior guard Chance Hunter registered his first double-double of the season with 14 points and 13 rebounds.
Unlike the Beach’s previous game, they never trailed at any point. However, it took awhile for the team to pull away from the Redhawks.
The Beach opened the game leading 8-2, not allowing Seattle to reach double digits until near the halfway mark of the first half, when they led 17-11. The Beach led by as many as nine, but the Redhawks never let them pull away. Great offensive gameplay from junior guard Darrion Trammell and senior forward Riley Grigsby, keeping the game within reach.
Trammell finished with 32 points, seven rebounds and seven assists while Grigsby added 24 points. The two were the only players that were in double figures for Seattle,combining for 56 out of its 75 points.
The Beach led 33-28 at halftime, but the Redhawks opened the quarter on a 5-1 run to cut the lead down to two. Despite the resiliency Seattle showed, the Beach always had an answer.
At the halfway point, the Beach led 56-46 and eventually opened up its biggest lead at 58-46. Just as in the first half, the Redhawks were never really out of it, as they went on a 9-1 run to cut the lead to 59-55.
Successfully converted free throws and timely three-pointers by the Beach helped slowly increase the lead back up 68-60, but a 9-4 Seattle run cut the lead down to 72-69 with 3:29 in regulation. The Redhawks eventually tied it at 72-72 courtesy of three free throws after Trammell got fouled while attempting a three-pointer.
But that was as close as Seattle got as Washington made a straight-on three-pointer to give the Beach a 75-72 lead with 1:46 left. Washington’s heroics didn’t end there, as he grabbed an offensive rebound to keep the ball with the Beach.
After Washington split a pair of free throws to put the Beach up 76-72, Trammell sank a three-pointer for Seattle to cut the lead to one. The Beach made its free throws and got the stop it needed to seal their first victory since March 6.
The Beach returns to action Thursday against San Francisco at the War Memorial Gym. A start time has yet to be determined.