The Long Beach State men’s basketball team pulled off an upset victory over BYU, 66-65, in a game that ended just short of 1 a.m., Tuesday morning inside the Walter Pyramid as a part of ESPN’s Tip-Off Marathon.
With 8 seconds remaining in the game, the 49ers (2-0) were clinging to a one-point lead and had possession of the ball. After a missed jumper by Justin Bibbins, BYU’s Kyle Collinsworth came away with a rebound, only to have Nick Faust steal the ball and draw a foul with 3 seconds left. Faust would miss both free throws, but guard Branford Jones sealed the game by deflecting a last second inbounds pass by the Cougars.
“It’s okay to win ugly. We just need to win ugly. I was proud of guys that found a way to win,” LBSU head coach Dan Monson said. “We have to get the culture of this program back to where we expect to win every game and have five different ways to win it. You don’t get quality teams of BYU’s stature in the Walter Pyramid every day so when you do you got to take advantage of it and we did.”
Despite BYU (1-1) jumping out to a quick 10-2 lead, the 49ers countered with 16-0 run, which included back-to-back three-pointers from freshman guard Noah Blackwell, four points from Branford Jones off the bench and a powerhouse dunk by senior Nick Faust that had the Walter Pyramid rocking. LBSU never trailed again.
“The impression that our student body gave on national TV was awesome,” Monson said. “That was an absolute home court advantage. We don’t win that game in Provo let’s just be honest. I give our fans credit to helping us get over the top tonight.”
The 49ers did have to withstand a furious rally by the Cougars late in the game. BYU was able to erase an 8-point deficit in just three minutes to tie the game 59-59 due to the efforts of Collinsworth and center Corbin Kaufusi, who combined for 27 points on the night. However, the 49ers would stall the momentum after a three-point play by Jones and a three-pointer by Travis Hammonds late in the game.
“We had opportunities to win but we came up short on a few calls, plays, rebounds and loose balls,” BYU guard Jake Toolson said. “We thought we responded well to their runs but we were a few free throws and loose balls away from winning.”
The 49ers had three players in double digits; led in scoring by Blackwell with 11 points. Faust tossed in 10 and sophomore Hammonds poured in 10 points as well. Although LBSU had solid offensive production on the deep roster, the defensive performance made the difference, forcing BYU to turn the ball over 24 times.
“This win shows how incredibly mature we are this early in the season,” Faust said. “We came in locked-in and focused and it shows that when we put our minds to it we can get the job done.”
The 49ers face Seton Hall next as part of the Glidden Charleston Classic on Thursday at 4 p.m. PT on ESPNU.