LOS ANGELES — The 2,074 in attendance probably had to rest their feet after the nail-biter they experienced on Monday night.
The Long Beach State men’s basketball team dealt out blows, but Loyola Marymount wouldn’t go down as the 49ers fell 85-80 in overtime at the Gersten Pavilion.
LBSU (6-5) came up with big play after big play in the second half, which kept them in the game on a poor shooting night. The Beach shot just 39.2 percent from the field on 31-of-79 shooting.
Despite the off night from the floor, the 49ers’ free throw shooting (68.4 percent) and big play ability led to a decent lead in the second half. In the end, the Lions’ (6-7) determination helped the West Coast Conference team seal the win in overtime.
T.J. Robinson once again led LBSU in points and rebounds with 22 and 18, respectively. It was Robinson’s seventh double-double of the season and the 18 rebounds is his new career-high.
Casper Ware was able to score in double figures — for the six consecutive game — as he had 16 points to go along with seven assists.
Eugene Phelps also provided a spark for the 49ers down low as the sophomore pitched in with 14 points and nine rebounds. Larry Anderson shook a recent dry spell on the offensive end to collect a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Stephan Gilling finished with three points and went just 1-for-9 from the field as the senior struggled to find an open shot for most of the night.
LMU was paced by Drew Viney’s 18 points and 11 rebounds. The 6-foot-5 forward, who came into the game as the Lions’ leading scorer and rebounder, proved to be a matchup problem for the 49ers’ defense.
The Lions had three other players score in double figures on the evening.
LBSU was down by two points with just under a minute left in overtime when Anderson missed two free throws. After that LMU converted 5-of-6 free throws to put the game away.
After a lackluster performance in the first half, LBSU came out with a 12-3 run to take a one-point lead at the 15:37 mark of the second half. The run was sparked by Ware, who had two 3-pointers and a layup during the stretch.
The consistent scoring on the Lions’ side helped keep them in the game as they regained a three-point lead midway through the half.
Greg Plater would give the 49ers a one-point advantage on a dunk over LMU’s Larry Davis, which caused the LBSU bench to explode. Head coach Dan Monson even had to hold back some players to prevent them from going on to the floor.
There were 14 lead changes overall and the score was tied 10 times during the contest.
Out of synch is the only way to explain the 49ers’ offense in the first half. Robinson was the only LBSU player that was able to get into any type of offensive rhythm. His 12 first-half points paced both teams.
Plater was able to knock down a couple of jump shots at the end of the half to collect seven points, but the seven other 49ers to get floor time in the half combined for just 14 points.
LBSU’s defensive effort wasn’t much better as they appeared to be a step behind the energized Lions. LMU shot 50 percent from the field in the first half, and the starting five combined for 34 points in the first half.
The Lions also won the battle inside with 18 points in the paint compared to 10 for The Beach.
Monson was not available for comment after the game as the team was headed for the airport to make a late-night flight to Lexington, Ky.
The 49ers will take on the No. 3 Kentucky Wildcats at 10 a.m. on Wednesday. The game will air on Fox Sports South and online at ESPN360.