On the road for its second out of state trip of the season, the Long Beach State men’s basketball team failed to build on its Homecoming win against San Francisco State, losing 97-74 to Xavier.
The 49ers (1-2) again struggled defensively on the road, giving up 97 points after surrendering 95 in the season opening loss at BYU. Head coach Dan Monson said after the SFSU game that he was excited about the offense, but disappointed about the defense.
Xavier (2-0) had little trouble picking apart the 49er defense. Xavier freshman forward Trevon Bluiett had another outstanding game, scoring 20 points on top of eight rebounds and five assists. The Musketeers shot 53 percent (35/65) from the floor, including 41 percent from the three-point line.
Freshman guard J.P. Macura contributed 17 points in the blowout for Xavier, which has reached 90 points in each of its first two games of the season.
The lone bright spot for the 49ers was their offense, which continued to perform at a high level. Senior point guard Mike Caffey had another efficient game, scoring 20 points while shooting 57 percent (8/14) from the field.
The 49ers welcomed back senior guard Tyler Lamb, who missed the first two games of the season after being suspended for violation of team rules when the team traveled to BYU.
Monson wasted no time easing Lamb into the season, playing him a team-high 29 minutes. He finished with 17 points in his debut 50 percent (6/12) shooting from the field, including a perfect 4-4 from the free throw line.
Other than Caffey and Lamb, no player reached double figures in scoring. The Musketeers were able to keep LBSU senior guard McKay LaSalle under control, limiting him to just 33 percent (2/6) shooting.
LaSalle went into the game shooting a blistering 60 percent from beyond the arc. The 49ers as a team entered the game shooting [number] as a team from deep.
So far, the 49ers aren’t getting the contributions they were expecting at the start of the season from key players. Senior Eric McKnight was expected to give LBSU much needed size and presence inside the paint. His start against Xavier was his first of the season, getting one rebound in 16 minutes.
Sophomore guard Travis Hammonds, an important contributor last year, has struggled to get on the court. Hammonds’ lack of playing time could just be a function of LaSalle and freshman guard Deontae North playing so well.
The 49ers will now return home to host another tough opponent. They will face perennial NCAA tournament participant Kansas State at the Walter Pyramid on Friday.