After dropping consecutive games in the Big West Conference to see its conference record fall to 5-2, the Long Beach State men’s basketball team showed a lot of heart at UC Irvine.
The 49ers (11-9, 6-2 Big West) defeated the Anteaters and held on to first place for at least another few days.
They have two more home conference games — tonight and Saturday — before finishing with five of their last six Big West games away from the Walter Pyramid.
Tonight they face UC Davis (9-12, 4-4 Big West). The ‘Niners dropped Davis, 86-78, on the road Jan. 10. Donovan Morris had 27 points in the win. Mark Payne had 22 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists for the Aggies.
Morris, a senior guard, missed The Beach’s win at Irvine due to a nagging right foot injury and the stomach flu but expects to be ready to go for the game this evening.
Davis is 2-1 on the road in conference play this season.
On Saturday, they face the Tigers of Pacific (12-7, 5-3 Big West) in what could be a battle for first place. The Tigers are currently third in the Big West standings and just a game behind LBSU.
On Jan. 8, Long Beach beat Pacific, 74-64, behind 19 points from Stephan Gilling. Chad Troyer paced the Tiger attack with 15.
Pacific is 3-1 on the road in Big West action.
The Tigers are coming off a win at UC Davis Saturday night — the 46th straight time they have beat them — a streak that extends back 68 years. Pacific takes on UC Riverside tonight.