With seven seconds left on the clock, senior standout point guard Mike Caffey hit the buzzer-beater for Team Gold’s 80-78 victory. This was after Team Black saw its 11-point deficit shrink to none when transfer Nick Faust bucketed a three-pointer to tie the game at 78-78.
Fans filled up the bleachers on the west side, and although they let out “oohs” and “ahhs,” head coach Dan Monson said he was disappointed with the lack of ball control and physicality on the court.
The Long Beach State men’s basketball team hosted an inter-squad scrimmage to give fans a glimpse of how the team is coming together on Saturday inside the Walter Pyramid.
“Offensively, our weakness is execution,” Monson said. “Defensively, we’re too passive, and our rebounding is horrendous right now.“
Even though Monson felt like it was good for the players to perform in front of a crowd, he saw an inter-squad game as a lose-lose situation.
“I don’t think any coach in America likes a scrimmage,” Monson said. “It’s so hard because every possession, one of the two failed – either your defense or your offense. There’s just a lot to clean up and a lot of work to do.”
Freshman forward Jack Williams and freshman guard Deontae North said they were both disappointed with their play, even though North was the second highest scorer of the game with 21 points.
Faust scored a game-high 24 points for Team Black, and returning sophomore guard Branford Jones contributed 18 points with six three-pointers for Team Gold.
Every player had the chance to showcase their skills on the court except for senior guard Tyler Lamb, who was out from a minor ankle injury that he suffered during practice on Friday. Monson said Lamb should be back on the court by Tuesday.
The 49ers will play their first game on the road against Brigham Young on Nov. 14.