Men's Basketball, Men's Sports, Sports

LBSU lets double-digit lead go, eliminated in first round of NIT

Late turnovers and a second half collapse ultimately cost the Long Beach State’s men’s basketball team a chance to advance in the National Invitational Tournament.

The 49ers (20-15) lost a shootout to the University of Washington 107-102 in the first round Tuesday in Seattle, Washington.

“You can’t go on the road and give the home team that many opportunities,” LBSU head coach Dan Monson said in a press release. “We lost control of the game at the end of the first half, and never really gathered it back. We put ourselves in a position to win, but you’ve got to convert, and we didn’t do that.”

The Huskies overcame a nine-point, second-half deficit, thanks to eight straight free throws in the final 37 seconds of the game by redshirt senior Andrew Andrews.

LBSU had a comfortable 68-59 lead with 14:56 left to play, but a 15-6 UW run shifted the lead and momentum back in the Huskies’ favor.

With less than two minutes remaining, the 49ers had a small 98-97 advantage after junior forward Travis Hammonds hit a tough layup in the paint.

Following a Washington bucket, Bibbins took the initiative on an inbound pass and went all the way to the rim to give LBSU a 100-99 lead with 45 seconds remaining.

But Washington answered right away with another pair of free throws by Andrews which gave the Huskies a one point lead with 30 seconds remaining. The 49ers turned the ball over on their ensuing offensive possession.

Down 103-100 with 23 seconds remaining, LBSU senior Nick Faust stepped back and threw up a triple to try and tie the game, but his shot was a little off. After that the 49ers opted to intentionally foul, but the deficit was too big to overcome.

Freshman guard Dejounte Murray and freshman forward Marquese Chris led Washington over the 49ers. Murray finished with 30 points while Chris collected a double-double, chipping in 27 points and 11 rebounds.

Faust led LBSU with 26 points and Bibbins added 17. Tuesday night’s loss closed the book for good on the 49ers’ season. LBSU finished 11-3 in the last 14 games of the year.

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