Long Beach State reaches the end of men’s basketball season, being eliminated in the team’s first game of the Big West Tournament against California Polytechnic State University with a score of 88-68.
In a crushing defeat in Henderson, Nevada, LBSU saw a 20-point loss against the 1-18 conference record Mustangs.
“Today they got what they deserved they outplayed us,” head coach Dan Monson. “We haven’t been outrebounded like that I don’t think in the league.”
The night wasn’t a complete sweep, as The Beach held a lead over Cal Poly 40-35 at the end of the first half.
The Mustangs gained an early lead and made most of its shots, as junior player Brantly Stevenson had 13 points during the first half.
But Long Beach wasn’t deterred, as during the halfway mark of the first half saw an increase in baskets and free throws, making seven out of 10.
As the second half was underway, Cal Poly saw a change in its play style, making six three-point shots throughout the half and landing a majority of its free throws.
The Beach however was stagnate, continuing to miss jump shots and layups, not getting out of the 40-point range until there were about nine minutes left in the game while their opposition was already up to 60.
However, fouls from both sides were common throughout the entire game, with the Mustangs having 24 and The Beach dealing out 21.
In the end, Cal Poly’s continuous possession of the ball and teamwork is what extended the lead at the end of the game, winning 88-68 over The Beach.
With this loss comes a final overall record of 17-16 and an 11-9 conference record, a middle-of-the-road finish compared to the 20-13 overall and 12-3 conference record last season.
This early exit for Long Beach is different than what the team got to experience last year, as they went all the way to the Big West Championship game against rivals Cal State Fullerton, fighting close to the end and only losing by one point.
“It was very humbling for us as a team and a program,” Monson said.