Long Beach State finally has an opponent for its semifinal game in the Big West Conference Tournament at the Anaheim Convention Center.
With a 67-60 win over UC Davis, the third-seeded Pacific Tigers earned a date with the No. 2 ‘Niners Friday night. The game will be broadcast on ESPNU with tip-off scheduled at approximately 8 p.m.
Long Beach (15-14) swept Pacific in the regular season, winning 74-64 on the road and eeking out a double overtime thriller, 81-80, almost five weeks ago.
“I think Long Beach handled us [at home],” Pacific head coach Bob Thomason said via conference call Monday. “It was a back and forth game (at The Pyramid) that could have gone either way.”
The Beach has its work cut out for them against a balanced Pacific attack that is laden with senior leadership and peaking at the right time. The Tigers (18-11) are riding a four-game win streak into this contest.
LBSU hasn’t played since a heartbreaking loss to UC Santa Barbara at the Thunderdome last Saturday night.
The Gauchos’ 3-ponter at the buzzer sent them to a 76-75 win and denied the 49ers a share of the conference title, a No. 1 seed and a spot in the NIT.
In the other semifinal match-up, top-seeded Cal State Northridge (15-13) will take on No. 4 UCSB at 5:30 p.m. on ESPNU.
The Gauchos (16-14) defeated No. 7 Cal State Fullerton, 73-64, Thursday night.