The Long Beach State men’s basketball team stumbled in its first game of a major six-game road trip with a 74-45 loss at Stephen F. Austin Friday night.
Following a 68-57 win against Nevada last Wednesday night at the Walter Pyramid, LBSU head coach Dan Monson said he felt his team was starting to gain a defensive identity.
“If your offense is there, that’s great. If it’s not, then you still have a way to win a basketball game,” Monson said after a 68-57 win against Nevada.
The 49ers’ offense lacked from the start against Stephen F. Austin (5-3), as it shot just 36 percent from the field in the first half, and committed 19 turnovers.
Senior forward David Samuels, who isn’t exactly known for his ball-handling ability, committed a team-high seven turnovers. He also played a team-leading 29 minutes, after only playing 12 in LBSU’s last matchup.
The 49ers’ three-point shooting, a strength for much of the season, was neutralized when the Lumberjacks pressured LBSU (5-5) ball-handlers past the three-point line. LBSU failed to hit a three for the first time all season, finishing 0-8 for the game.
Stephen F. Austin had no trouble getting whatever it wanted against the 49ers, especially in the second half. Leading 29-21 at the break, the Lumberjacks shot nearly 60 percent from the floor in the second period, including 44 percent from three.
Junior guards Jared Johnson and Thomas Walkup led the Lumberjacks in scoring with 16 apiece. Johnson shot 50 percent from beyond the arc, while Walkup fell one rebound short of a double-double.
The usual impact players for LBSU had quiet nights. Senior point guard Mike Caffey had his lowest scoring game of the season with just eight points. Caffey shot 3-7, and finished with zero assists. Unable to get his teammates involved, the team went 16-37.
Freshman forward Temidayo Yussuf, fresh off a double-double against Nevada, was barely a factor in the game, collecting just three rebounds to go with a single point scored. The lone bright spot for the 49ers was sophomore guard Branford Jones, who led the team in scoring 15 points.
One of the things Monson said he has to figure out is how he’s going split playing time among his guards – seniors Tyler Lamb and McKay LaSalle, sophomore Jones and freshman Deontae North.
“When you have four wings that are really good players, there’s going to be games where guys [get] only eight minutes,” Monson said. “Good [players] sit there and accept that. Other guys don’t. We’ll see how this team responds to it. So far they’ve been great.”
The 49ers travel south to play San Diego State Wednesday night in San Diego, continuing on their six-game road trip.