Five Beach players scored in double figures for LBSU men’s basketball as they defeated Iona 80-76 in their second game of the Gulf Coast Showcase early Tuesday morning.
This victory marked The Beach’s second win in three games, improving their season record to 3-3.
In a closely contested game featuring eight lead changes and 10 ties, The Beach broke away in the second half behind junior guard Jadon Jones who scored a game high 19 points on 4-6 (66.6%) shooting from three. Senior guard Messiah Thompson added 10 of his 14 points in the second half.
Junior guard Isa Silva made his mark late in the game sinking a crucial corner three that put The Beach up by three with less than 36 seconds remaining. Following a missed three on the next possession from Iona forward Wheza Panzo, Thompson secured the rebound and delivered clutch free throws to secure the win.
Silva finished with six points on 2-5 (40%) from deep and 2-for-6 (33.3%) overall, adding five rebounds and two assists in 25 minutes.
The Beach shot 38.9% from three and shot 47.4% from the field, converting on 27-57 shots. They also registered a season-high at the foul line, making 19-30 from the charity stripe (63.3%).
Junior forward Aboubacar Traore earned his first double-double of the season in the Beach’s win, finishing with 11 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, four steals and two blocks in 30 minutes.
Junior forward Lassina Traore and senior guard Marcus Tsohonis were the remaining two Long Beach players to score in double figures.
Lassina finished with 12 points on 5-9 (55.5%) finishing while adding six rebounds, three blocks and two steals in 31 minutes.
In 25 minutes, Tsohonis scored 10 points on 13 shot attempts, hitting four shots but going 0-3 from beyond the arc. Despite his struggles shooting, Tsohonis added more to the win than just his point total with four rebounds, four assists and two steals for The Beach.
Although The Beach missed out on the Gulf Coast Showcase championship following their first-round 61-52 loss to Illinois State on Monday, they remain in contention for fifth place in their next game.
Long Beach State is set to face the winner of Louisiana versus Buffalo at 1:30 p.m. for fifth place. The loser of that game moves to the next bracket of the showcase for sixth and seventh place.
The Beach’s fifth-place matchup is scheduled for Nov. 22 at 1:30 p.m.